Zero-Emission Heavy Duty Vehicle – Recharging Infrastructure Grant Scheme
Ireland has committed to transitioning to a low carbon economy by 2050 and the transport sector has a significant role to play. To date, in Ireland, the transport sector is heavily dependent on imported oil. Reducing this reliance and switching to alternative fuels and technologies will be essential to decarbonise the sector. Major changes to our conventional fuel choices will be needed to achieve this goal.
To promote the decarbonisation of the freight sector and to encourage companies towards this path, the Department of Transport has appointed TII to administer the Zero-Emission Heavy Duty Vehicle – Infrastructure (ZEHDV-I) and the ZeroEmission Heavy Duty Vehicle – Infrastructure Port (ZEHDV-IP) Grant Schemes (Schemes).
The Schemes are intended to assist the purchase and installation of infrastructure associated with the recharging of Heavy-Duty Vehicles (HDVs) that are electric and zero-emission.
The ZEHDV-I and ZEHDV-IP Schemes are funded by the Department of Transport. The Schemes are administered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, with the assistance of Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors LLP which acts as the Operator of the Schemes. All communications in connection with the Schemes will come from Pierse Fitzgibbon.
If you have already ordered, purchased and installed zero-emission vehicle recharging infrastructure, it is NOT eligible for support under the Scheme.
Applications to the scheme will be accepted the week commencing the 20th of February 2025
What are the Recharging Infrastructure Grant Schemes?
The Schemes award grants to assist companies and enterprises who wish to develop infrastructure to recharge Zero-Emission Heavy Duty Vehicles (ZEHDV). Grant amounts are calculated as a percentage of the eligible costs associated with the development of the recharging infrastructure.
Grant levels awarded to applicants depend on:
- The size of the enterprise or company applying for the grant; and
- The location of the recharging infrastructure.
Where the infrastructure will be installed inside the boundary of an Inland or Maritime Port, funding can be applied for under the ZEHDV-IP Grant Scheme.
Where the infrastructure will be installed outside the boundary of a Port, funding can be applied for under the ZEHDV-I Grant Scheme.
What Recharging Infrastructure does the Scheme Support?
The Scheme supports the purchase and installation of infrastructure associated with the recharging of ZEHDVs.
Where the Grant is awarded under the ZEHDV-IP scheme the infrastructure must be accessible to the public and cannot be used solely for private use by the Applicant.
Where the Grant is awarded under the ZEHDV-I scheme the infrastructure can be used solely for private use by the Applicant and / or made available to the public use.
How Do I Find out the Size of my Business or Undertaking?
Undertaking size is determined by definitions developed by the EU and based on staff head count and turnover.
According to EU state aid rules, ‘small’ enterprises are eligible for higher levels of aid than ‘medium’ or ‘large’ enterprises. More information on determining the size of your enterprise can be found in the Terms & Conditions, and the latest edition of the EU’s User guide to the SME definition
The following table summarises how the sizes of undertakings are defined under the Scheme and how this relates to the base level of aid intensity available to eligible applicants. It is important to note that the total maximum aid intensity per undertaking (including affiliates) is €300,000
Table 1. Size of undertaking and percentage of eligible costs
| SIZE OF UNDERTAKING | SMALL | MEDIUM | LARGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff head-count; turnover/balance sheet total | Fewer than 50 staff; ≤ € 10 m/≤ € 10 m | Fewer than 250 staff; ≤ € 50 m/≤ € 43 m | More than 250 staff; > € 50 m/> € 43 m |
| Maximum aid intensity per vehicle per size of undertaking | 50% of eligible costs | 40% of eligible costs | 20% of eligible costs |
What is an Economically Disadvantaged Area?
The base level aid intensity % of eligible costs can be increased by 5% where the infrastructure will be installed in an economically disadvantaged area, in accordance with section 7 chapter III of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). An economically disadvantaged area is designated by the Regional Aid Map for Ireland (2022 – 2027) (regional-aid-map-for-ireland.pdf).
What are the Eligible Costs?
The Eligible Costs are the costs associated with the construction, installation,
upgrade or extension of new recharging infrastructure. Those costs may include:
(a) The costs of the recharging infrastructure itself and related technical equipment,
(b) The installation of or upgrades to electrical or other components,
(c) The costs of civil engineering works, land or road adaptations associated with
the installation,
(d) The costs incurred in relation to obtaining any necessary development
consent,
For the further detail on what is defined as an Eligible Cost refer to Appendix A of the
Template Grant Letter below.
More Information on the ZEHDV-I Grant Scheme
An overview of the Scheme and the grant processes can be found in the ZEHDV-I(P) Information Guide here.
More details on the ZHEDV-I Grant Letter can be found here.
More details on the ZHEDV-IP Grant Letter can be found here.
Worked examples of Grant Amount calculations can be found here.
Contractor Declaration of Works can be found here.
Scheme Data Protection Notice can be found here.
How to Apply for the Grant
To begin the application process, the applicant shall complete the Application Form and submit it by email to: zehdvgrant@pierse.ie
Indicative timeframes for the different steps in the process can be found in the ZEHDV-I(P) Information Guide
How to Drawdown Approved Funding
To begin the drawdown process, the applicant shall submit the required supporting documentation by email to: zehdvgrant@pierse.ie as follows:- Company Tax Clearance Number,
- ESB Networks Invoice per installation site,
- Contractor Invoice per installation site,
- Safe Electric Completion Certificate per installation site,
- Contractor Declaration of Works per installation site,
- Photographs of the completed works per installation site.
It is only possible to make one grant drawdown per application. If the grant drawdown does not make a claim for all the infrastructure associated with the application, the infrastructure not claimed will be permanently removed from the application and the grant offer will no longer apply to the infrastructure. The grant is calculated using the price of the installation excluding VAT.
Contact
For further details of the Scheme please contact Pierse Fitzgibbon Solicitors, the Scheme Operator, at:
- Email: zehdvgrant@pierse.ie
- Phone: 068 56789
