A total of 24 points will be installed at seven prison estates throughout England and Wales. The sites include Cardiff Prison, Swansea Prison, Bristol Prison, Dartmoor Prison, Guy’s Marsh in Shaftesbury, Portland Prison in Dorset and Parkhurst Prison in Newport, Isle of Wight.

Work on the project began at Portland Prison earlier this month, with the installation of four 22kW charging points, and will be completed by the end of March, with the team finishing at Cardiff, with the installation of six units.

The project team carried out electrical surveys prior to the works taking place and worked with Connected Kerb to install bespoke designs based on the findings. The works demonstrate VolkerSmart Technologies’ extensive experience in working collaboratively to install a range of charging points safely and efficiently, in a wide range of challenging locations.

The installation of the new charging units will help the prison estates manage and improve security measures for people visiting the sites, along with supporting the switch to a long-term sustainable approach. The MoJ is introducing electric vehicles into its fleet to save fuel costs and reduce its environmental impact, with the goal of operating a fully electric fleet by 2022.

The works have faced several challenges, with restricted working hours, increased security checks and the additional considerations faced when working in a high security environment. This is alongside the challenges faced by working safely during the Covid-19 pandemic.

David Easton Jnr, project manager for VolkerSmart Technologies said: “We are thrilled to be working on this new project for the Ministry of Justice. This is a great opportunity for our business to demonstrate our skills and capability to deliver in a range of challenging environments. As public and private sector clients realise the benefits of switching to a greener fleet, we are working with them to deliver the infrastructure required.”