Ignitis ON network to install 500 charging points with the help of EUR 16 million EU financial support
In the coming years Ignitis ON, the leading EV fast-charging network, will become even larger and more convenient for EV drivers. The European Union (EU) made a decision to allocate EUR 16 million for the charging network’s expansion. The grant will help fund the installation of 500 new charging points. It is the largest-ever allocated sum to a charging network operator in the Baltics.
The EU has allocated almost EUR 422 million in total to 39 projects related to building alternative fuels infrastructure on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Eimantas Balta, Head of EV Charging for Baltics at Ignitis, says that, in order to expand the Ignitis ON network, Ignitis applied for EUR 16 million funding. The application has been approved and the preparation for signing the contract is underway.
“We are glad that our application was approved together with the applications of European EV charging infrastructure leaders, such as E.ON and Milence. These funds will allow us to significantly expand our network. We are committing to install 222 charging stations in three years, where 500 EVs will be able to charge simultaneously. It's important to note that we are expanding the network and making it more convenient for both light-duty and heavy-duty EVs. Even though we are focusing on infrastructure development in Lithuania, the network is also being expanded in other Baltic states,” says E. Balta
Currently, Ignitis ON has over 1,100 charging points, with over 800 of them capable of fast charging. You can find their locations and prices on the charging station map. Ignitis ON app can help you navigate to the charging station nearest to you. It also allows you to check its availability, including the charging connector you need, start and stop charging sessions, pay for them and contact Ignitis ON customer support 24/7 at your own convenience.
The Ignitis ON charging network expansion project and 38 other projects were selected under the Connecting Europe Facility's (CEF) programme Transport Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF). It is a key driver of the EU's ambitious plan to expand the EV charging infrastructure in the TEN-T and make the freight and passenger transport in Europe more efficient and sustainable.
After the projects that secured EU funding are completed, the number of light-duty EV charging points and heavy-duty EV charging stations (1 MW and above) in the TEN-T will increase by around 2,500 and 2,400 respectively. The TEN-T expansion will also include 35 hydrogen refuelling stations for cars, trucks and buses, 2 ammonia and methanol bunkering facilities, electrification of ground services at 8 airports, and making 9 airports greener.
The European Commission's (EC) communication on the "EU Green Deal", published at the end of 2019, set a climate neutrality target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 pp by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. One of the main sources of pollutants are vehicle emissions, which account for around 25% of the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions. The communication calls for a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector. In late 2020, the EC’s communication "Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy – putting European transport on track for the future" states that by 2050 nearly all cars, vans, buses as well as new heavy-duty vehicles will be zero-emission.
