Belfast EV infrastructure company awarded ORCS contract to expand on-street and council car park charging, supporting Northern Ireland’s net zero transport goals
The chosen locations for Weev’s EV charge points are within residential areas in a range of towns and cities, and work is set to commence in the coming weeks
Belfast electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure company Weev has been appointed as contractor to install over 250 EV charge points across nine Northern Ireland councils.
The appointment has been welcomed by Minister for Infrastructure Liz Kimmins and Deputy Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Alderman Niree McMorris. The charge points will be installed in a mix of on-street locations and council-owned car parks, targeting residential areas where homes lack driveways or off-street parking.
The initiative is part of the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ (OZEV) On Street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS). It is led by Derry City & Strabane District Council, acting as Lead Council for the NI EV Consortium, which brings together nine local councils, the Department for Infrastructure, and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Weev will supply, connect, and operate the new charge points, helping to make electric vehicle charging more accessible for residents and supporting Northern Ireland’s move towards net zero transport.
Welcoming the contractor announcement, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said: “I am delighted my Department has been able assist in the funding of over 250 charge points which will widen the electric vehicle charge point offering across nine local council areas for the public and local businesses.
"This shows my ongoing commitment for my Department to support, where possible, the expansion of EV charging facilities across the north, as the adoption of electric vehicles gathers pace as we move towards Net Zero.”
Deputy Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Alderman Niree McMorris said: “Improving access to charge points is another positive step in progressing the move towards sustainable, cleaner travel. It will make electric charging more accessible and convenient for users and encourage the switch to electric vehicles. Council has been taking an active role as lead of the consortium and along with our partner councils we will continue to lobby for more support for the improvement of local EV infrastructure.”
The chosen locations for the EV charge points are within residential areas in a range of towns and cities, and work is set to commence in the coming weeks.
Thomas O'Hagan, Weev CCO said: “We are delighted to be awarded the ORCS contract and play our part in growing Northern Ireland’s EV infrastructure.
"The growth of EV charger installations and EV car uptake is vital if we are going to reach the net zero targets set by the Government. Initiatives like ORCS, driven by local councils will have a huge role to play.”
Mark McCall, chair of Electric Vehicle Association Northern Ireland said: “Weev secured the top spot as the most reliable EV charger in our annual EVANI survey where we polled electric vehicle owners across Northern Ireland for their opinion.
"It was a well-deserved accolade for Weev to be ranked number one against a growing number of Charge Point Operators, as their dedication to the service doesn’t go unnoticed.”