Greenwheel Electric, a new initiative from Chris Walker, founder of Muirhall Energy, the country’s largest independent renewable energy developer, is pleased to announce that it has exchanged an options agreement with Peel Ports Group for it to pursue plans for an application to build an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging hub powered by renewable energy at the Hunterston PARC (Port And Resource Campus) site.
The development - which is located at the site of the former coal terminal in Ayrshire - is in the early stages of the planning process. The company’s ambition is to work collaboratively with local people, community councils, local groups and other developers at the site to hear directly from them as to what they would like to see provided at the hub and to reflect these needs as much as possible in the final design.
The location of the hub will provide convenient access for the area’s private and business users, supplying low-cost, ultra-rapid charging from 100% renewable energy.
Kirstin Leckie, Senior Project Manager at Greenwheel Electric, said:
“On behalf of the team behind Greenwheel Electric I am delighted that we are today announcing plans for an EV charging hub powered by 100% renewable energy in the form of solar power at Hunterston PARC. Our hub is the latest in a line of significant developments being announced for the site and we are delighted to be part of this exciting project.
“As a company we want to help EV users take charge of their experience through a direct connection to 100% renewable generated power. Hunterston is a great location for us to launch an EV charging hub that will add value for the local community and align with wider decarbonisation targets for the transport sector.
“We look forward to engaging with local people as we work through the design of the site to ensure that we are able to submit the best possible planning application, embedding the needs of local businesses, and nearby residential communities, into the final offering.”
Lewis McIntyre, Managing Director of Port Services at Peel Ports Group, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Greenwheel Electric as the latest partner to join Hunterston PARC. Their charging hub is a key element of our ambition to create a net zero campus—an environment that not only hosts world leading renewable energy companies but is itself powered by green energy.
“We’re in active discussions with a number of interested parties on the final available plots on the site, and I’m confident that this latest development will only strengthen that interest.”
Peel Ports Group has been granted planning permission for the £150m redevelopment of the site’s marine yard. The project presents a unique opportunity to develop a facility that will support offshore wind developments, alongside other potential uses. Discussions are currently underway with several prospective developers. Once operational, the wider Hunterston site is projected to generate £3.5bn in inward investment and create more than 5,000 jobs.