CM Sawant Inaugurates 1st Public EV Charging Station Installed in Goa by CESL

The Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant has inaugurated the first public EV charging unit, as part of the Green Goa Initiative.

The Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant has inaugurated the first public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging unit, as part of the Green Goa Initiative. The EV charger has been installed by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Service Limited (EESL) at the Assembly Complex of Goa Legislative Secretariat. 

A 142 kW fast charger, the unit is the first among the 12 public EV chargers to be set up by CESL. The Chief Minister also flagged off two Electric Vehicles — a Hyundai Kona and a Tata Tigor from Goa Legislature Secretariat, Assembly Complex, Porvorim.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Pramod Sawant said, “the Goa government is hoping to set an example for the nation by emerging as a frontrunner in electric vehicle standards. Statistics have shown that with the rise in the number of vehicles in the state, there has been a rise in air pollution levels. If pollution is to be reduced, it is necessary to move to electric vehicles. With this collaboration, I hope we will be able to meet the charging infrastructure requirements of the state. I congratulate CESL for this initiative and hope that other states too come forward to boost EVs and EV charging infrastructure.”

So far, three high-capacity combo EV chargers of 122-150kW, Type 2 AC standards have been installed that can charge long-range EVs like Hyundai Kona, Tata Nexon, and Maurice Garage (MG) EV variants. Adjoining to these EV chargers, Bharat Standard DC001 EV chargers are planned for recharging moderate range EVs such as Tata Tigor and Mahindra e-Verito. This shall be completed by February 2021.

Mahua Acharya, CEO & MD, CESL said “adoption of EVs for daily commute is essential for a wide range of goals, including better air quality, enhanced energy security, transition to clean energy sources, along with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. With vehicular pollution being a persistent source of reduced air quality within the state, rapid adoption of zero-emission vehicles is of great importance and so is the deployment of proper EV charging infrastructure.”

The establishment of the EV charging units is part of the agreement signed between EESL and Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) on November 6, 2020. CESL has been anchoring the Electric Vehicles eco-system development in the country, undertaking demand aggregation for procuring EVs and supporting the transition in bringing innovative business models and implementation wherewithal for accelerated roll-out of EV charging units.

Kunal, IAS, Secretary (Power and New & Renewable Energy), Goa said, “the charging units, with its compatibility with a wide range of electric vehicles, will greatly spur e-mobility adoption. It will go a long way in making EV charging hassle-free and convenient for the consumers, thereby making e-mobility adoption an attractive proposition across regions in the country.”