Kempower in Norway: charging partner for the largest electric bus depot above the polar circle

Kempower announces it is part of the project dedicated at the realization of the largest bus depot above the polar circle for electric buses. The facility will be built by Omexom. Kempower is set to deliver 50 chargers for 32 e-buses. The new bus terminal for electric buses will be put into operation on 1 October 2021. The buses, by Volvo, are expected to begin operation within this year, following the order signed in September 2020.

Kempower, charging e-buses above the polar circle

Kempower was established in Finland in 2012. The operational kickoff happened in early 2018, and today the brand has a focus on charging infrastructures for electric vehicles, from passengers cars to e-buses and heavy-duty vehicles. The company has also been selected to charge the 31 VDL e-buses purchased by Koiviston Auto Group for operations in the Finnish cities of Kuopio and Lahti (13 and 18 e-buses respectively)

The project includes 50 charging points where 32 electric buses can charge simultaneously in what will be the largest bus depot for electric buses in northern Norway (Bodø region), Kempower says in a note.

The terminal «will have a total of 50 charging points, where 32 buses can charge simultaneously (24 places for solo buses and 15 places for articulated buses). There will also be 44 parking spaces for charging, of which 36 will be suitable for 18.7m or 12 m long buses, while the remaining 8 spaces will be for 12m buses. The chargers will provide 30 kW but can easily be upgraded to 40 kW», according to Kempower.

Kempower electric bus chargers in Bodø

On this depot project, electricity is delivered from the medium voltage grid with a compact secondary substation that electrifies multiple rack style converter cabinets across the depot area.

With Kempower DC chargers, ready to run function can be activated, to provide buses pre-heating power at the depot, just before they start their route.

The company says: «The 18.7 meters long articulated electric buses are charged overnight while the buses are stationary parked at the depot, typically 4-8 hours. On some depot cases, utilizing adaptive EV charging with Kempower dynamics, EV bus depot’s charging capacity can be used for daytime charging at higher power level on those buses that change their routes during the day. Another feature that can provide cutting edge cost efficiency to depot cases is selecting Kempower’s ChargEye connected services. Kempower ChargEye gives clear vision of the bus depot’s charging process and may include optional powertools for optimization for the long run».