The Bengal government has joined hands with the UK government to set up a centre of excellence to develop skills for charging electric vehicles. Senior West Bengal government officials and UK experts said this on the sidelines of a meeting-cum-workshop in Kolkata.
The event was organised by the British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata, along with the state council of technical & vocational education and skill development and NPTC Group of Colleges Wales, UK, a specialised agency imparting training on e-mobility. Various stakeholders, including companies working in energy distribution, municipalities, e-vehicle manufacturers and solar energy organisations, participated in the workshop on March 21.
Once functional, the centre will also provide knowledge inputs to rationalise EV standards in the city and the state, according to the participating experts.
“Skill development is crucial for the maintenance of EVs as well as their manufacturing. The centre of excellence will introduce innovation and help in the development of infrastructure and manufacturing of EVs,” said the state’s power secretary, S. Suresh Kumar, inaugurating the workshop.
The officials stated that the state now plans to se up the infrastructure by floating tenders or in association with oil companies
Plan for 500 charging stations
The official admitted to The Plurals that the charging infrastructure in the state, set up mainly by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), an agency promoted by the Union ministry of power, is not up to the mark and the state now plans to set up such infrastructure either by floating tenders or directly in association with oil companies. “We have already set up 50 such charging stations and the tendering process is on for another 500 stations,” informed Kumar.
Rajanvir Singh Kapur, the managing director of West Bengal Transport Corporation, said that as the state transitions towards an era of electric mobility, it’s important to enhance the skill of the workers in dealing with new technologies.
