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Joondalup Bus Depot

Electric Vehicle Charging Public Transport

Joondalup Bus Depot

PROJECT OVERVIEW

At the innovative Joondalup bus depot, Gemtek, along with ABB, and LKS Construction, successfully designed and implemented a cutting-edge high-voltage EV charging system. This groundbreaking solution allows electric buses to recharge overnight, revolutionising Western Australia’s public transport system.

The key features of this long-term sustainable project included a high-voltage charging system through a combination of the exisiting grid network and a 100kW solar array connected to a large on-site battery story system (BESS), ABB’s Terra124 High-Power EV Charger, Cloud Connectivity and Remoting Monitoring and an expert team who understood the challenges and found a solution.

OUR APPROACH

Through careful design and collaboration, Gemtek has effectively transformed the Joondalup bus depot into a model of sustainable and efficient electrified transportation. By partnering with ABB and LKS Construction, we designed a solution using ABB’s Terra124 124kW High Power EV Chargers.

These chargers will be used to charge new Volvo electric buses to operate on a CAT route and have the ability to charge two buses simultaneously. The chargers have the ability to connect to the cloud, allowing for 24/7 remote monitoring of the charging infrastructure, maximising uptime and increasing efficiency.

PROJECT SCOPE

We were entrusted with the design and implementation of the charging system at Joondalup bus depot. Drawing upon our extenstive knowledge and expertise in the electrical industry, we delievered a range of services to ensure the success of this groundbreaking project. The scope of our works included:

  1. Power Consumption Analysis

    We provided data loggers to accurately measure the power consumption of the building before the upgrades were made. This allowed us to understand the existing energy requirements.

  2. Future Design and Engineering Provision

    We developed a future-proof design plan to accomodate up to 12 buses within the next 2 the 4 years. This forward thinking approach ensured that the charging infrastructure could easily scale and adapt to meet the evolving needs of the client.

  3. New 1MW Site Transformer

    The installation of a 1MW site transformer allows the client to cater for future expansion and increased power demand.

  4. Design and supply of new site Main Switchboards

    The new Main Switchboards were specificailly designed for EV infrastructure, and engineered to integrate seamlessly with the charging system.

  5. Consideration for Future Expansion and Pit and Pipe Network

    Incorporated design considerations for future expansion, including a comprehensive Pit and Pipe network. This approach will enable easy integration of additional charging stations and infrastrastructure as the fleet is expanded.

  6. Design, Installation and Commissing of ABB Charging Hardware

    As part of this project, we successfully designed, installed, and commissioned ABB’s advanced charging hardware, including four ABB Terra124 (120kW) chargers and one Terra24 WB Mobile Cart.

    These high-quality chargers provided efficient and rapid charging capabilities for the Volvo BZL electric buses.

  7. Service Level Agreements

    We established robust Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to ensure the ongoing maintenance, support and uptime of the chargeing infrastructure. These agreements ensure uninterrupted service and prompt resolution of any issues.

WHY GEMTEK?

By leveraging our in-house design, engineering, project management and installation capabilities, we were able to ensure the seamless coordination and execution of the Joondalup Bus Depot Charging Infrastructure, wiith project commencing in November 2020, and the charging infrastructure has been in service since August 2021.

  • Client:

    Perth Transport Authority & Transperth

Open Project