Australia’s first pantograph-down EV bus charging depot launched at Brookvale powered by Kempower technology
Brookvale Bus Depot sets a new benchmark for electric bus infrastructure as Australia’s first pantograph-down EV bus charging system, supporting the transition of 229 diesel buses to battery electric. Powered by 13 x 450 kW Kempower pantograph chargers and intelligent load management, the solution delivers fast, reliable charging at scale to keep fleets ready for daily operations.
This achievement is the result of close collaboration with multiple project partners, marking a significant milestone in Australia’s journey toward electrified public transport. Kempower’s sales and service partner, JET Charge, played a key role by supplying charging equipment and providing system integration and commissioning expertise. The project brought together Keolis Australia as depot operator, Downer EDI Engineering as principal contractor, bus OEMs Custom Denning, Yutong and Foton and Transport for NSW.
Solving complex depot electrification challenges
Electrifying 229 diesel buses at Brookvale required operating within a depot with limited space for traditional plug-in charging infrastructure. An additional advantage lies in the driver experience. For bus drivers, pantograph charging helps streamline the charging process by reducing manual steps and minimising driver interaction, supporting smoother day-to-day operations at scale. The project also needed to support a high-capacity 5 MVA grid connection, integrate backup generation to ensure uninterrupted operations, accommodate multiple bus OEMs and meet a strict requirement for zero charging downtime.
To address these challenges and maximise available space while maintaining efficient depot operations, the site was equipped with a Kempower high-power pantograph-down charging solution, including 13 × 450 kW Kempower Power Units paired with 850 A pantograph-down chargers. The solution enables fast, automated, and reliable charging at scale, while intelligent load distribution optimises the use of available power and protects the depot’s electrical infrastructure, ensuring buses are consistently ready for daily service.
First-of-its-kind system design and testing
As the first project of its kind in Australia, Brookvale introduced a new level of infrastructure and system integration complexity. Without a local example, the project required a comprehensive design and testing program to ensure smooth delivery. The charging system is designed for 99.9% uptime, supported by energy management, in-house testing and ongoing monitoring to ensure consistent performance and rapid maintenance response.
A complete charging system was air freighted early in the project and installed at Custom Denning’s manufacturing site, enabling full integration testing prior to deployment. This approach ensured the project was delivered on time, avoiding any construction delays.
To protect the depot’s electrical infrastructure and maintain reliability, the CORE Max load management system was customised with a newly developed I/O expander. This enables real-time monitoring of high-voltage protection devices and dynamic adjustment of charging loads, ensuring safe operation while maximising available power.
Setting a benchmark for electric bus infrastructure
Brookvale now stands as Australia’s first fully operational pantograph-down charging depot, purpose-built to support over 200 zero-emission buses. With live, intelligently managed Kempower pantograph chargers, the system delivers seamless daily operations for a large fleet.
The project supports Transport for NSW’s Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan while providing a proven and scalable model for future depot electrification. Early integration with multiple bus OEMs ensures the system meets the operational demands of a live depot while supporting long-term electrification goals.
With monitoring and maintenance support in place, Brookvale is now a future-ready depot, setting a new benchmark for electric bus infrastructure in Australia.
“JET Charge working with Downer EDI has proven to be a world-class partnership, providing exceptional knowledge and capability to deliver a first-of-kind bus depot electrification conversion,” says Nick Carne, Director Energy Transition, at Keolis
At JET Charge, we make the transition to electric straightforward. We remove complexity so our customers can act with confidence. We’ve delivered this at scale across the country by investing more than a decade in deep expertise across hardware, electrical, software, firmware and energy systems. That breadth of capability, combined with Kempower’s leading charging technology, has been critical to delivering a first-of-its-kind project like Brookvale,” comments Tim Washington, CEO, from JET Charge
“For Kempower, it is a privilege to have been selected as the DC fast-charging hardware supplier for this flagship project, supporting the efforts of Transport for NSW and Keolis in advancing the adoption of zero-emission buses in Australia, together with the combined capabilities of Kempower, Jet Charge and Downer,” says Dylan Perera, Business Development Manager, Fleets (APAC) at Kempower.
