Iberdrola España sets up a charging infrastructure for Pamplona's new electric buses

• The fleet of vehicles of the Community of Municipalities of the Region of the capital of Navarre will charge the batteries of a total of 20 electric buses with 100% green energy.
• Iberdrola España has executed the electrification project for the TCC bus depots, providing them with the necessary infrastructure for charging these buses.

The Pamplona Region Community of Municipalities, TCC and Iberdrola España join forces in the commitment to fight against climate change, the decarbonisation of cities and sustainable mobility.

The Director General of Transport of the Government of Navarre, Berta Miranda; the President of the Pamplona Region, David Campión; the General Manager of Moventis, Juan Giménez; and the Commercial Delegate for the Northern Zone of Iberdrola España, Eduardo Lobato, presented this morning the first of the 20 electric buses that will make use of the new electric charging infrastructure installed by Iberdrola for TCC (Regional Urban Transport) in the capital of Navarre.

Iberdrola España has executed the electrification project that equips the facilities of the fleet of the municipal public transport company of the Pamplona Region Community of Municipalities with the necessary infrastructure to charge up to 20 buses. The installation with 10 charging points allows the simultaneous charging of two buses: 90 kW each or just one at the maximum charge allowed by the vehicle (up to 180 kW).

To supply this equipment, a 13.2 kV medium-voltage line has been installed from the existing transformer substation in the depot area to a new 2.5-megawatt (MW) transformer substation installed inside the building next to the rectifiers.

The facility has a Bia Could platform, provided by Iberdrola España, which enables vehicle charging to be managed by monitoring in real time and managing the charging process remotely, intelligently and using automatic learning technologies to optimise the operation.

These vehicles, with their modern and innovative design, will charge their batteries with 100% green energy from renewable sources and will allow further progress to be made in the integral transformation of the fleet of vans towards total neutrality in emissions.

This urban bus electrification project has been carried out thanks to European funds aimed at the sustainable transformation of Urban Transport, for which the Pamplona Region Community of Municipalities has received €4.9 million from the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda (MITMA). The MCP proposal envisaged the purchase of 20 12-metre electric buses (grant of €4 million) and the installation of 20 slow-charging points of 90 kW each and the adaptation of depots for this purpose (grant of €910,580).

Iberdrola España's Commercial Delegate for the Northern Area, Eduardo Lobato, stressed that "the electric bus is the most economical and sustainable solution for transport in our cities. Iberdrola España accompanies public and private operators on their journey towards the electrification of the fleet, starting with initial advice, through the implementation of infrastructure projects such as in Pamplona and including the long-term stable supply of energy from renewable sources. We continue to move towards decarbonisation and energy self-sufficiency through the electrification of two key sectors of our economy, transport and industry. The scale of this challenge requires public-private partnerships like this one, which have the technology and knowledge to accelerate the well-being of citizens and contribute to the development of more sustainable cities".

Zero emission vehicles for a more sustainable city

The bus presented this morning is a 12-metre long 'Irizar ie tram' model. The vehicle has an avant-garde design with tram aesthetics, is equipped with the latest generation Irizar 430 kWh batteries and is fitted with motors with a maximum traction power of 240 kW. The charging power is 100 kW and charging takes less than 5 hours. The bus has an on-board energy capacity that guarantees a minimum service of 16.5 hours.

The vehicle has a capacity for 80 people, three sliding doors -train type-, 25 seats (4 of them for people with reduced mobility), two areas for wheelchairs and trolleys and double wheelchair access ramp (electric + manual).

As an example of the technology incorporated in this vehicle model, instead of rear-view mirrors, it has two digital cameras that project their images onto the screens located in the driving position, guaranteeing excellent visibility in all lighting conditions. In addition, the new vehicle places emphasis on the passive safety of the environment with ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance Systems) that help to minimise risk situations that may arise while driving. 

Sustainable Mobility Infrastructure Deployment Plan

Iberdrola España is aware of the need to promote electromobility in Spain through coordinated and effective action with the main agents involved. In this regard, the company has already completed more than 60 infrastructure deployment agreements with administrations, institutions, companies, service stations, dealers and electric vehicle manufacturers.

The company leads the public charging infrastructure in Spain and Portugal with more than 3,200 points in operation and others under development, which are powered by renewable energy to decarbonise transport from start to finish. 

Iberdrola España is carrying out a sustainable mobility plan, with an investment of €150 million, with which it will intensify the deployment of charging points for electric vehicles in the coming years. The initiative envisages the installation of around 150,000 charging points, both in homes and in companies, as well as on urban roads, in cities and on the main motorways in the coming years. The commitment to the deployment of high-efficiency stations will take the form of ultra-fast (over 320 kW), super-fast (over 120 kW) and fast (50 kW) stations.