St1 expands Finland’s high-power charging network with Rejlers as partner

As the market share of electric vehicles grows, St1 wanted to develop a high-power charging network in Finland as part of a wider Nordic network to meet increasing demand. With a target of opening more than 30 high-power charging stations across the country, the company needed a partner for both planning and implementation. Rejlers was selected thanks to its broad expertise and experience.

The planning phase included, for example, site visits, the preparation of layout plans for the high-power charging stations, and the design of switchboards and customer substations. St1 received project funding from the European Union, so EU requirements, such as the accessibility of charging points, had to be taken into account in the planning. In procurement consultancy, Rejlers supported St1 in procuring transformer substations and selecting a contractor for the construction phase. Once construction began, Rejlers supervised the installation of the charging stations.

“Our diverse expertise across different industries allows us to look at things from many different perspectives. We can propose cost-effective solutions because we know what kinds of solutions have been used in Finland in the past. We also have a long history of working with electricity distribution grid operators, who are an important stakeholder group in high-power charging station design”, says Joona Ehrnrooth, Rejlers Electricity Grid Business Unit Manager.

This was a large-scale project that further strengthened Rejlers’ expertise in high-power charging. Eeva Walden, who served as Rejlers’ Project Manager, emphasizes that in projects of this scale, teamwork is particularly important and it is essential for everyone to recognize their own strengths.

“Managing schedules and workloads is critical and requires resilience. I feel that cooperation was smooth, both internally and with the client, which was important for the success of the project”, says Walden.

Many factors must be considered in designing and implementing charging stations for electric vehicles, and the work involves numerous stakeholders. The client views Rejlers’ stakeholder management as a key strength.

“Rejlers has been successful in facilitating and accelerating access to grid contracts and connections, as well as incorporating the operation of both St1 stations and the St1-owned Shell stations into its plans for electric vehicle charging. They have a natural ability to communicate with grid operators, authorities, and contractors, which has made our partnership smooth and efficient”, says St1 Construction Manager Juha Jääskeläinen.

As such, we are extremely satisfied with the project.

“The Rejlers team has demonstrated its professionalism and commitment to this programme. We would like to give special thanks for their flexibility and ability to solve any challenges quickly and efficiently”, summarises Jääskeläinen.