SSE Enterprise helps power up RATP Dev London’s Shepherd’s Bush Bus Depot

SSE Enterprise will help transform more London buses from ‘red to green’ by supporting the upgrade of RATP Dev London’s Shepherd’s Bush garage in west London into an innovative electric bus depot.

RATP Dev London operates 70 bus routes across the London network, with a fleet of some 1,200 buses. Their Shepherd’s Bush depot houses the 36 buses for Transport for London routes C1 and 70, which as a result of SSE work will become  all-electric. The facility was officially opened by Catherine Guillouard, Chairwoman of RATP Group, Laurence Batlle, CEO of RATP Dev and TFL Commissioner Mike Brown.

The move toward more sustainable travel in the capital aligns with London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s plans to introduce an “ultra-low emissions zone” across the city.

SSE Enterprise was selected as preferred supplier by RATP Dev to provide electrical infrastructure - from the 11,000 volt distribution network to the low voltage bus chargers – to enable buses to be charged overnight. They were also instrumental in securing an innovative timed connection which cut back project length and cost. The project was carefully planned to ensure normal bus journeys were not disrupted during the install period.

Neil Kirkby, Managing Director of SSE Enterprise, said: “We’re delighted to play our part in the opening of RATP Dev’s electric bus depot at Shepherd’s Bush. Full marks to our team who worked tirelessly to make sure the project was on time and on budget; and used their expertise to deliver a cost effective and innovative charging solution. There is no doubt that everyone wants cleaner air for London and to make the capital greener, and we’re keen to play our part in that.”

RATP Dev aims to progressively turn Shepherd’s Bush into a depot with an all-electric fleet, to make it the company’s first zero-emissions bus garage in London. RATP Dev partnered with BYD (Build Your Dreams), a Chinese bus manufacturing company, in conjunction with Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), who were chosen as the preferred suppliers for the buses and charger equipment. The depot employs BYD’s smart charging technologies to enable all of its buses to be charged overnight, avoiding peak hours of electricity use and easing overall grid capacity.

SSE Enterprise has also already installed over 600 charging points for electric cars across London, as well as five facilities where SSE Enterprise has designed, installed and maintains the infrastructure for large scale electric bus fleets in London, including the landmark fully electrified depot  in Waterloo.

SSE Enterprise is also involved in a ground-breaking ‘Bus2Grid’ project that will involve over 30 e-buses using smart technology to provide bi-directional charging that enables the e-bus batteries to interact with the energy system.

The UK Government has signalled its intent to consign diesel and petrol engines to the history books, but rolling out the required infrastructure to provide charging points for electric vehicles is one of the biggest challenges facing the energy industry.