Rio-Antirio: The First “Green” Bridge in the World with the stamp of WE ENERGY and BLINK.

26 09 2019 | 09:46

‘Green’ electric vehicle charging and ‘clean’ energy for all its operations are now available at the Rio-Antirio Bridge, in collaboration with Blink Charging Europe and WE ENERGY, marking the first step in creating a new EV charging network for the whole of Europe, originating in Greece and the flagship bridge.

This first project of the Blink Charging Europe Joint Venture was successfully completed and presented by “GEFYRA SA” and Blink Charging Europe at a special event organized by “GEFYRA SA” on Saturday, September 14, 2019, marking 15 years since the start of its operation.

Blink Charging Europe installed and commissioned the first 2 chargers capable of simultaneously charging 2 + 2 EC electric vehicles at the two parking lots, in both sides of the Rio – Antirio tolls, offeringfree charging for the following to passers-by, with priority provision for vehicles for disabled people.

Globally praised as a project of great technical difficulty and a miracle of engineering, the Rio-Antirio Bridge blazes new trails, as it becomes the world’s first bridge operating with green energy generated exclusively from Renewable Sources.

The installation of EV chargers that use 100% green energy from WE ENERGY on the Rio-Antirio Bridge “Charilaos Trikoupis” is part of the “Green Bridge” program with the main message of “The climate is changing, so are we”, implemented by “GEFYRA SA”, a licensed company of the pioneering technical project, which unites the Peloponnese with Central Greece and the entire country with the trans-European road networks.

Blink Charging Europe is a joint venture of the Greek energy company EUNICE ENERGY GROUP (EEG) and Blink Charging Co., the leading US company in the supply of electrical products and services.

It is noteworthy that Blink Charging Europe EV Charging Network harnesses the energy that the EEG Group generates in Wind and Solar Parks and will be channeled through its subsidiary, WE ENERGY, a leader in supplying and marketing electricity from Renewable Energy Sources (RES), with the necessary guarantees of origin.

The green energy in Blink’s network is the new driving force for electric vehicles and the Green Economy first in Greece and soon in other European markets.

Blink Charging Europe offers a complete charging solution while providing the equipment, operation and management of the entire system. Also, it offers integration into the Blink network, one of the most integrated charging platforms in the world.

In particular, Blink is a member of Hubject, a worldwide consortium of leading companies in the automotive, energy and technology sectors, including the BMW Group, Daimler, Siemens and Volkswagen Group. It provides a digital and cross-border network for charging electric vehicles. With more than 300 partners, 140,000 charging points across three continents, the Hubject platform is the largest digital marketplace for electric vehicle charging related services.

The example of “GEFYRA SA” can be followed by other private companies not only in Greece but also in other European countries.

By investing in renewing their corporate fleet of electric vehicles, private companies and public entitiescan achieve a smaller carbon footprint in their turnover, especially when charging with “green energy”. In this way, many companies can contribute to protecting the environment by reaping multiple benefits.

Electric vehicles can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport. A key requirement is the maximum possible penetration of Renewable Energy Sources in vehicle charging. Ensuring ‘green charging’ should be a priority for showcasing the future value of EVs.

“The deployment of these two dual-port charging stations supports the green energy initiatives led by WE ENERGY and assists Greece with the development of its EV infrastructure. Although Greece is still in early stages of development of EV infrastructure, recent efforts by Greek energy suppliers, such as Eunice, are bringing the development of electric vehicle infrastructure to the top of Greek’s to-do list,” says Michael D. Farkas, Blink’s Founder and CEO. “We couldn’t be more excited to be taking an active part in this cultural shift towards widespread adoption of electric vehicles in Greece.”

Mr. Panagiotis Zografos, CEO of WE ENERGY, said: “The world’s first green bridge consumes green power from WE ENERGY. For us, such an important project is the starting point of a partnership with the common goal of reducing the energy footprint and protecting the environment with multiple benefits for both parties. Together, the three companies are the first to turn the green light on, so that green energy is a priority for all businesses that want to contribute to sustainable development and environmental protection.“

Mr. Panagiotis Papanikolas, Chairman of the Board of Directors & CEO GEFYRA SA, said: “GEFYRA SA has been ranked among the companies that pioneered environmental responsibility for years, drastically reducing its CO2 emissions from its corporate operations, setting up platforms for action on the marine environment, and introducing eco-driving into the traffic patterns of the ‘Charilaos Trikoupis’ bridge users. A key ‘vehicle’ of the company’s environmental policy is the “Green Bridge” strategic program, with the central choice of the already implemented drastic reduction of consumption and 100% Renewable Energy Sources electricity supply. Speaking of electricity consumption, though, a vehicle (without quotation marks and fully symbolic), this is the one we procured and put into circulation on September 14, the opening day of Blink / WE ENERGY chargers installed on both sides of the Bridge toll stations. So, the first electric vehicle of our corporate fleet was the first to be powered on site, underlining a high quality inter-company collaboration that is particularly satisfying on both sides.”