In Ventspils, the First Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Built with Co-financing from the EU Recovery Fund Are Unveiled

Translated using ChatGPT service.

On Friday, July 12, the first electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Latvia, built with co-financing from the European Union (EU) Recovery Fund, were opened in Ventspils. These stations are located at six public sites in the city: the concert hall "Latvija" (1 Lielais Square), North Kurzeme Regional Hospital (60 Inženieru Street), Ventspils State Gymnasium No. 1 (1 Kuldīgas Street), New Town Square (49 Kuldīgas Street), near Ventspils Adventure Park (3 Krustkalna Street), and at the theatre "Jūras vārti," on the promenade side of 45 Kr. Valdemāra Street.

By investing EU Recovery Fund finances, AS "Sadales tīkls" constructed the necessary electrical infrastructure, while the Ventspils city municipality provided the sites for the stations according to the project requirements. The charging stations were supplied and installed by Elektrum Drive, which won the rights in a public auction. With the support of EU funding, public charging stations will also be installed in other parts of Latvia by operators such as Eleport, Ignitis, Enefit, and others.

Each of the six new charging locations in Ventspils offers two charging stations with four plugs. This means that up to 24 electric vehicles can be charged simultaneously at all new points combined.

The availability of charging points in the regions is crucial for the broader adoption of electromobility, especially in the business sector. "It is gratifying that through the successful collaboration between 'Sadales tīkls' and the Ventspils municipality, Ventspils city will be among the leaders in electromobility in Latvia, proving that electromobility has a place throughout Latvia, not just in the capital," emphasized Jurģis Miezainis, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Economics.

According to a survey conducted by "Sadales tīkls" and the research center "Kantar," about one-fifth (18%) of Latvian residents plan to purchase an electric vehicle, with 4% intending to do so within the next three years and 14% not sooner than three years from now. At the same time, about a quarter (28%) of the respondents indicated that a broader public charging network would help them decide to purchase an electric vehicle.

Vīgants Radziņš, Member of the Board and Development Director of "Sadales tīkls," stressed the importance of EU financial instruments in promoting national electrification: "Thanks to the EU Recovery Fund, we can participate in the expansion of the public charging network in Latvia. The first charging points have been opened in Ventspils, but there are several hundred public charging stations in development across Latvia - in Cēsis, Sigulda, Valka, Liepāja, Riga, and elsewhere - to be provided by various electric vehicle charging point operators."

Jānis Vītoliņš, Chairman of the Ventspils City Municipality Council, noted that the new stations will facilitate e-mobility for both residents and visitors: "We are pleased that Ventspils is the first municipality in Latvia to open 12 new EV charging stations built with co-financing from the EU Recovery Fund. Our goal has always been to promote positive changes in Ventspils, making the urban environment more functional, suitable for public needs, and environmentally friendly. We are ready to continue developing the charging infrastructure within the city, marking potential EV charging spots in public parking lots, and supporting industry operators who can follow the successful example of this collaboration between the city municipality, 'Sadales tīkls,' and Elektrum Drive. Furthermore, in the future, we hope to realize significant renewable energy projects in Ventspils Freeport to transform it from a fossil energy port into a renewable energy port. Offshore wind farms are planned near Ventspils, and a 30-hectare solar park in the Ventspils national industrial park."

With the new charging stations in Ventspils, we practically and symbolically support electrification, encouraging society to reduce the share of fossil energy while promising to provide clean and sustainable electricity. "Latvenergo" and its subsidiary "Sadales tīkls" demonstrate effective collaboration with this project, as "Sadales tīkls" has financially supported the EU target program, while Elektrum Drive is the largest EV charging network operator in Latvia. Elektrum Drive aims to reach 800 charging spots this year and be the largest network in the Baltics, with plans to install super-fast charging spots in Latvia. By 2027, Elektrum Drive aims to operate 3,000 charging spots in the Baltics," said Aigars Laizāns, Chairman of the Board of "Latvenergo."

Andris Kužnieks, Deputy Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia, emphasized that the goal of the Recovery Fund is to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and other shocks on the economy and national development, and to continue investing in green and digital transitions to strengthen Latvia's competitiveness: "We must continue to green Latvia's transport system by improving access to EV charging points. We can say that the opening of such stations strengthens Latvia's green circulation system. Step by step, we are moving in the right direction to better conserve resources for future generations and more effectively combat climate change."

With EU funding of €6.5 million, "Sadales tīkls" plans to build connections for more than 2,000 public EV charging points (or microgeneration) by mid-2026. Initially, only state or municipal structures could partner in this project, but now the circle of partners has expanded - electric vehicle charging point operators registered as EV charging service providers in the VSIA "Latvijas Valsts ceļi" database are invited to apply.

"Sadales tīkls" invites interested parties to apply for the project - it is an opportunity to implement EV charging station development plans at lower costs, as "Sadales tīkls" will handle the design and construction of the electrical infrastructure (from the overall electrical network to the metering distribution) using EU funds, while partners will need to provide the charging equipment, its installation, and/or ensure the site for public charging points. More information about this specific EU Recovery Fund project is available on the "Sadales tīkls" website.

*The survey was conducted online in April this year in collaboration with the research center "Kantar." It involved 1,000 Latvian residents aged 18 to 75.

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