BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – The Belait and Temburong districts will be the first to see the installation of electrical vehicle charging stations, according to the minister of energy.
YB Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Hj Mat Suny Hj Mohd Hussein said the charging stations will eventually be available in all four districts following a collaboration with Brunei Shell Marketing.
No set timeline was given as to when installations would begin, but the government plans to launch a two-year pilot programme for electric vehicles on March 25.
“The government is also seeking to provide opportunities to private companies and commercial building owners to have the installation of these charging station at their premises,” YB Dato Dr Hj Mat Suny.
The energy minister added that a majority of electrical vehicles can also be charged at private residences or at home using charging kits provided by car dealerships.
“The Electrical Authority Brunei Darussalam will provide guidelines for safe electric vehicle charging as reference for the public,” said the minister.
A two-year pilot project on electric vehicles is due to be launched later this month in a bid to study the legal and technical requirements, pricing and infrastructure for the deployment of electric vehicles, while also gauging public interest.
The government has set an ambitious target of increasing electric car sales to 60 percent of total vehicle sales by 2035.
This would help cut carbon dioxide emissions by 0.23 million tonnes, as part of Brunei’s commitment under the Paris Agreement to slash emissions by 20 percent over the next 10 years.