*This content was translated by AI.
Solum announced on the 30th that it is moving to secure its first reference for entering the Middle East electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure market. This project is believed to be the first case of a domestic EV charging-related company entering the public sector Proof of Concept (PoC) of the Qatar Electricity Company, and it is significant in that it explores the potential of domestic EV charging solutions in the Middle East public market.
Qatar has set carbon footprint reduction and electrification of public transportation as key goals of its Vision 2030, and is pursuing a plan to convert 100% of public transportation buses to electric vehicles by 2030. The Qatar Electricity Company (Kahramaa) directly oversees the installation and bidding of EV charging stations, with plans to gradually expand public charging infrastructure to 300 units by the end of 2024, 600 units by 2025, and 1,000 units by 2030. As of January 2024, there are approximately 200 public EV charging stations in Qatar, and the company is accelerating additional expansion by enhancing user convenience functions through the second phase of the Tarsheed smart EV charging platform project being promoted in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).
Solum secured the project to promote a public sector electric vehicle charger demonstration project (PoC, Proof of Concept) for the Qatar Electricity Company (Kahramaa) on April 12. This demonstration was realized through collaboration with domestic charger specialist manufacturer CHAEVI, and the demonstration product is one CHAEVI 3rd generation 180kW fast charger equipped with Solum's 30kW power module. The product will arrive in Qatar in early July after production and air shipping schedules, and will begin the full-scale demonstration.
The local partner for this project is VIM Automotive, a Qatar-based company specializing in the automotive industry. VIM Automotive is a leading local company with a broad network of major public and private projects in Qatar, and the partnership was established after Solum's Middle East and Asia head directly identified and contacted them. Through this, Solum secured a practical channel to enter the Qatar Electricity Company's public infrastructure project.
The core verification task of this PoC is environmental adaptability unique to the Middle East. Solum's power module must maintain stable Vdc output according to design specifications even in operating environments with extreme summer heat where the highest temperature exceeds 45 degrees Celsius and sandstorms are prevalent. Through this demonstration, Solum plans to secure objective verification data on the durability and environmental adaptability performance of its power module.
Solum has a strategy to gradually expand its EV charging solution business to the entire GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) six-country market, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait, based on this Qatar demonstration reference. The verification history of the Qatar Electricity Company, a public institutional investor, is expected to function as an effective reference when targeting neighboring countries.
In addition, this PoC is expected to serve as an opportunity to solidify domestic power module sales relationships by establishing a successful collaboration case with CHAEVI. Solum plans to reflect operating data from the special environment of the Middle East in product enhancements to improve competitiveness in the global EV charging infrastructure market.
Lee Chang-seop, Solum's Middle East and Asia head, said, "This demonstration with the Qatar Electricity Company is the first opportunity to directly verify our company's technological capabilities and local business development capabilities in the difficult Middle East market," and added, "Based on the PoC results, we will steadily build a trust relationship with local partners and fully launch GCC regional business."
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
