Galp uses old EV batteries as buffer storage for HPC chargers

The centrepiece of the ‘Second Life Batteries’ project is a storage unit housed in a container with a capacity of 368 kWh. According to a statement from Galp, it is made of used EV batteries, which BMW is likely to have contributed to the project. The stationary storage system slowly draws energy from the power grid and delivers it to two 180 kW chargers for rapid charging. According to the project participants, “up to nine vehicles can be supplied in succession with minimal mains power.”

‘Second Life Batteries’ is a joint project involving BMW, energy supplier Galp and BeePlanet, a specialist in second-life batteries. The storage system was installed at a petrol station in Alcalá de Henares in the Madrid metropolitan region.

“We are convinced that mobility will become increasingly electrified and that its large-scale introduction is an essential prerequisite for reducing emissions. Galp is at the forefront of the transformation of mobility, with innovative projects that ensure access to increasingly sustainable energy and fuels for a growing number of people,” says Galp manager João Diogo Marques da Silva.

The Portuguese energy supplier now has 5,000 charging points in operation in Spain and Portugal. According to earlier information, it was initially planning to have a total of 10,000 charging points in Spain and Portugal by 2025. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted the Portuguese energy company a loan of 41.5 million euros for part of this expansion. Specifically, this will support the introduction of 5,500 charging points by 2025 – on the condition that Galp installs 55 per cent of these 5,500 chargers in less developed regions.

mobilityplaza.org, galp.com (in Portuguese), beeplanetfactory.com