In the coming years, Central and Eastern Europe will confront the challenge of accelerating the expansion of charging infrastructure. At the end of 2019 in Poland, there were fewer than three BEVs per public charging point. By 2021, this number is expected to nearly double to almost five, and by the beginning of 2024, it is projected to exceed eight. With the European Union’s ban on ICE sales as of 2035, there is a potential risk of insufficient charging infrastructure, leading to a significant downturn in the Polish automotive market. Without a sufficient number of charging stations, mass-scale electrification of the Polish vehicle fleet will not be feasible.
The acceleration of the expansion of charging infrastructure will be driven by the AFIR regulation, which establishes specific targets, including the requirement to provide adequate total capacity of public stations based on the number of registered EVs. However, the development of the charging network in Poland is still hindered by several systemic barriers that impede the pace of infrastructure development.
These barriers primarily include lengthy and arduous procedures for connecting charging stations to the distribution system operators’ (DSOs) network, which involve significant waiting times for connection construction. Consequently, the commissioning time for DC stations is among the longest in Europe, often exceeding two years for single units or three years for hubs. Additionally, unfavorable connection conditions, such as indicating connection points at considerable distances from planned station locations, pose further obstacles. This necessitates operators to incur significant additional costs, often several times exceeding their expenditures on charger purchase and installation. Furthermore, when DSOs issue connection conditions to the medium-voltage grid, the costs of building transformer stations and long power connections are transferred to operators. This frequently undermines the rationale for investing in charging stations due to the substantial increase in financial outlays.
The most significant barriers are outlined in a report produced by F5A titled “AFIR on the horizon: How to accelerate the expansion of public charging infrastructure in Poland?” The report also includes a catalog of demands developed in collaboration with leading operators, the implementation of which could lead to a significant increase in the number of stations in Poland. The primary objectives are to substantially reduce the construction time for connections of public charging stations to the DSO network, which should not exceed 12 months regardless of voltage level, and to establish mechanisms to facilitate and incentivize DSOs to invest in expanding the distribution network to prepare for future connections of charging infrastructure on a large scale. This is particularly crucial in areas with underdeveloped distribution networks.
The requirements outlined in the F5A report also include the definition of precisely specified standards for DSOs to construct connections (e.g., regarding the location of connection points or the option to select voltage level irrespective of charging station power) to streamline the expansion of charging infrastructure and to clarify the ownership structure of energy infrastructure located at Rest and Service Areas. It is imperative to implement the proposals outlined in the report not only to expedite the development of the EV market but also to avoid the financial penalties that Poland may face for failing to meet the targets set by the AFIR.
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