Evo Energy will supply the Woden and Tuggeranong bus depots with the energy required to house and charge 300 battery electric buses, the ACT Government announced today.

High voltage cables, spanning nearly 12 kilometres, will charge 100 buses at the new Woden bus depot and 200 buses at the Tuggeranong depot.

These two bus depots will be connected via two new 11 kV dedicated underground feeders from Evoenergy’s Wanniassa Zone substation, to help manage maximum demand of up to 12.2MVA at Tuggeranong and 5.1MVA at Woden.

This will help the ACT Government transition to a zero-emission public transport system by 2040, Chief Minister Andrew Barr and transport minister Chris Steel said.

The first of Canberra’s 12 electric buses are now on the road, and 90 are under procurement.

• New bus smell as first of ACT’s zero-emissions fleet hits the road (28 January)

In the meantime, the government will increase electrical capacity at the Tuggeranong and Belconnen bus depots so electric buses can recharge there.

The ACT Government will invest $26.3 million over three financial years to complete these electrical infrastructure works.

Mr Barr said the investment was a budget measure, so the costs would not be passed onto Canberrans through their household electricity bills.

More information on the Zero-Emissions Transition Plan for Transport Canberra is online.