A forecourt operator has blasted energy firm Scottish and Southern Electricity (SSE) over “unacceptable” delays to powering up an electric vehicle (EV) charging point in Aberdeen.
Motor Fuels Group (MFG) said an “ultra-rapid” EV charging hub at its petrol station on the Haudagain roundabout has been ready for months – but claims SSE’s network business has “severely and unacceptably delayed” the energisation of the site meaning EV drivers can’t charge their cars there.
The group, thought to be the UK’s largest independent forecourt operator in the UK, said the delays to the Aberdeen site and another in Glasgow could force it to pull the plug on millions of investment in EV charging points across Scotland.
MFG said a “significant proportion” of its 100 forecourts in Scotland were in areas reliant on Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) where the group plans to install EV chargers.
The firm added that delays meant the network operator was “significantly risking future investment in Scotland”.
MFG has earmarked eight sites in SSEN’s area for EV chargers to be built in the first half of the year.
It warned that if it doesn’t see “immediate progress” with the planned sites, “we will be forced to stop this investment in your region”.
SSEN is the main electricity distribution network operator (DNO) across the north of Scotland and central southern England.
Hertfordshire-based MFG, which was founded and is now chaired by well-known oil and gas entrepreneur Alasdair Locke, operates over 900 fuel stations across the UK operating under brands including BP, Esso, Jet, Shell and Texaco.
MFG EV director Ed Chadwick-Till sent a letter to Chris Burchell, the managing director SSEN Distribution, seen by The Press and Journal.
Letter of last resort
In the strongly worded missive, Mr Chadwick-Till said he was writing to him “directly as a last resort” to ask for his “urgent assistance”.
He said: “The process for energisation has been severely and unacceptably delayed for several months.
These delays are ultimately disadvantaging the EV driving population of Scotland and delaying Scotland’s ambitious energy transition goals.”
MFG EV director Ed Chadwick-Till
“These delays are ultimately disadvantaging the EV driving population of Scotland and delaying Scotland’s ambitious energy transition goals.
“MFG has committed to investing over £400 million this decade in EV charging.
“A sizeable amount of this investment is earmarked for Scotland where MFG has c.100 sites, a significant proportion of which are in the SSEN region.
‘clearly unacceptable’
“However, the delays we are experiencing from SSEN are significantly risking future investment in Scotland.”
He added that despite SSEN offering “design approval” for the sites in Aberdeen and Glasgow in September and October, MFG was “still awaiting legal engagement”.
Mr Chadwick-Till added: “As such, we are unable to turn on our chargers.
“We have received no traction from your staff and have found them to delay the process.
“Delays of this nature are clearly unacceptable.”
The letter added that if SSEN did not start working more quickly to help it roll out the EV chargers it had planned this year, it would invest in other areas instead.
“We will instead have to focus our efforts – current and future – in regions elsewhere in the UK where the barriers to investment are not as unreasonable and so that we can keep to our commitment to play an active part in the UK’s transition to EV.
“This would not only be a significant disappointment to MFG, but more importantly, it will be a significant blow to an already lagging ultra-rapid public charging provision in Scotland.”
Northfield and Mastrick North councillor Ciaran McRae said: “I am disappointed to hear that there has been delays to the completion of works at the MFG site, I hope that SSEN can work with MFG in order to commission the site fully and to aid the network for electric vehicles across Aberdeen and Scotland”.
In a statement, a spokesperson from SSEN Distribution said it was “committed to providing timely connections to our network”, adding it was working to ensure any pre-construction activity such as legal contracts and wayleaves agreements are “completed in line with the required timescales”.
The statement added: “The two Motor Fuel Group projects in question are currently in the delivery phase and the legal missives are yet to be concluded.
“We are communicating directly with both MFG and its contracted partners to exchange necessary information alongside reviewing all options to deliver the projects.”
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