New 250-port charging complex displays strong commitment to electric vehicle adoption
Methuen, MA – August 18, 2021 – www.voltrek.com: As part of an ambitious goal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from its sites and fleets by 2025, AstraZeneca has upgraded its facilities in the Boston area to expand employee access to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The global biopharmaceutical company’s massive new 250-port EV charging hub, located in Waltham, Massachusetts, is the largest of its kind on the East Coast.
“Our company is committed to environmental sustainability and operating with net-zero carbon emissions by 2025, and we are excited to be part of bringing large-scale EV capability to the region and to the employees who work at AstraZeneca,” says Ken Sutton, director of facility management at AstraZeneca’s Gatehouse Park BioHub, where the project was completed in late 2020. The facility’s existing parking garage was retrofitted to house 125 dual-port, Level 2 stations manufactured by ChargePoint, which boasts the world’s largest EV charging network.
Collaborative partnerships with Eversource, the State of Massachusetts, MassEVIP and MassEVolves were pivotal to bringing the project to fruition. “We hope this project inspires others to leverage the power of collaborations between private industry, government entities, EV organizations and utilities like Eversource to affect change,” Sutton adds.
Bruce MacGregor, facility system specialist for AstraZeneca’s research and development program in Boston, managed the project. He worked in tandem with Boston-based Maverick Corporation, a contractor that performed all the preconstruction work, which was funded through Eversource’s “make ready” EV charging station program. Under this program, the energy provider covers 100% of the infrastructure costs related to deploying the charging stations (e.g., transformers, switchgear, conduits and wiring).
Voltrek, LLC, located in nearby Methuen, provided the charging station hardware, built custom mounting brackets, completed final station assembly and performed commissioning of the project.
“The project team came up with a creative installation strategy to allow for most of the ports to cover two parking spaces, providing charging access to more than 450 spaces,” says Voltrek CEO Kathleen Connors. After purchasing the charging stations through Voltrek, AstraZeneca received a partial rebate through the Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program, also known as MassEVIP.
The AstraZeneca project was recognized at the Third Annual MassEVolves Recognition Ceremony, which honored a select group of business and academic organizations leading the way in zero-emission vehicle adoption in Massachusetts. The ceremony, held in November 2020, was co-hosted by Recharge America, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
“This project is a tremendous accomplishment for AstraZeneca and for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” says EEA Director of Clean Transportation Policy Daniel Gatti. “Electric vehicles are a critical component of our state’s strategy to reduce pollution from transportation and achieve net-zero global warming emissions by 2050.”
Recharge America’s CEO Kirk Brown agrees. “Companies like AstraZeneca and the other MassEVolves participants, in close collaboration with the State of Massachusetts and utilities like Eversource, are helping clear the way for many more residents across the state to drive electric,” he adds.
Clean mobility, Connors notes, is vital to supporting an equitable, healthier future for everyone.
“Our team at Voltrek is proud to be part of this iconic project for AstraZeneca, a major employer demonstrating sustainability leadership by advocating for clean mobility solutions,” she says. “Transitioning to an electrified transportation system will yield numerous economic, environmental and cultural benefits for our country—including cleaner air, reduced carbon output, less-expensive vehicle operating costs for consumers, job creation and energy independence.”
Run Date: August 18, 2021
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