- ABB supporting Enerqo and Gistele with modular power supply solution for Finland’s charging infrastructure
- Standardised all-in-one Kabeldon power supply solution supports customization and rapid expansion
Bus transportation is rapidly electrifying and the necessary charging infrastructure is expanding at the same pace. Enerqo, a supplier of charging stations for electric buses, is investing in high-quality power equipment and in the partnerships needed to make the infrastructure roll-out successful.
The electrification of bus services is advancing rapidly across Europe. The European Commission is accelerating this progress with a requirement for 40% of urban mobility to be low-emission by 2026. In Finland, the pace of change is rapid.
In 2021, 70% of new buses were electric and the electrification process is naturally supported by the construction of charging infrastructure. Founded in 2020 to offer charging systems for heavy-duty vehicles, Enerqo has achieved solid market position in Finland: approximately 75 % of Finland's electric buses are charged with chargers and charging infrastructure supplied by the company.
"Our secret weapon is the depth of our customer knowledge,” says Mikko Summala, Sales Director at Enerqo. “Our sister company Yutong Eurobus Scandinavia imports vehicles from Yutong, the world's largest manufacturer of electric buses, so we know the soul of electric buses."
Another key strength is Enerqo's ability to deliver complete solutions faster than its competitors. This requires close cooperation across the value chain. With energy companies, charger suppliers and electrification experts all in the loop, project delivery goes more smoothly.
"Our capabilities as a full-service provider are key,” says Summala. “We understand the type of electricity connection needed for each site and the timeline for delivering that. Lead times for the electrical distribution boards are several months; for new grid subscriptions it can be more than six months."
The construction of charging stations for electric buses places significant new demands on existing energy infrastructure, he explains: "A standard 630 A low-voltage connection can be connected to just one 360 kW charger. That means that practically every station needs a high-voltage connection. This is usually completely new territory for bus operators."
Power supply critical for charging stations
Since 2022, Enerqo has been cooperating with electrical equipment supplier Gistele Oy. Gistele supplies Enerqo with packaged solutions with different configurations for the power supply of charging stations. These critical assemblies are made entirely with ABB Electrification technologies and Kabeldon distribution boards.
"The power supply plays a critical role in future-proofing charging stations,” says Summala. “Reliability is of course number one; scalability is also key. Most charging stations need to be able to expand quickly, so the flexibility and expandability of the power supply is important. ABB Electrification’s Kabeldon solution with its durability and modularity meets these requirements brilliantly.
"The level of standardization that ABB’s solution makes possible is also an advantage for us. We can configure each supply to meet each customer’s requirements and still use the same standard equipment to streamline our maintenance work.”
Easy and quick to install
Enerqo and Gistele have already completed a number of joint projects in both Helsinki and elsewhere in Finland. The cooperation continues to build.
The easy installation of ABB Kabeldon solutions is an added benefit for Gistele, says Sales Director Tapio Aro-Heinilä. The components are simple to position and thanks to ABB’s touch protection, they are safe to maintain even when energized.
"ABB is a well-known, reliable operator,” says Aro-Heinilä. “Components slot together seamlessly and are very quick to assemble. Documentation such as front sketch, single-line diagrams and bills of material – and of course professional support services – are also available, whenever needed."
