AQW 18557/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 21/11/2024
Answered On Date: 09/12/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail any work ongoing within his Department to scope the potential for converting lamp-posts into electric vehicle charge points.

Answer:

I have made clear my commitment to delivering greener, cleaner, sustainable transport and switching fuels to low or zero emission alternatives is a key tenet of my Department’s approach to transport decarbonisation.

My Department installs its own underground cable network to provide electricity to its street lights, which is designed to accommodate only the relatively low electrical load required to power these lights. There is no additional capacity that would support any substantial additional load, such as that required for electric vehicle charging.

While no formal study has been undertaken, to upgrade my Department's street lighting network to support electric vehicle charging, would require the replacement of all of its underground cable network with mains supplies from a Distribution Network Operator to each street light.

Due to the high costs and levels of disruption involved, it is not considered practicable or affordable to upgrade the network for this purpose.