WattHub charging facility powered by renewable energy opens in The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the A15 highway will soon be home to a distinctive and ground-breaking fast-charging facility for electric trucks and heavy machinery. This global premiere is being developed by partners Van Oord, Dura Vermeer, Ploegam, and Betuwewind under the moniker WattHub.

The charging station will be ready for use by the end of April once preparations get under way in February. It will, of course, be powered by renewable electricity supplied by Betuwewind and situated amidst wind and solar farms.

The Tiel-Waardenburg dyke strengthening project, carried out by Van Oord, Dura Vermeer, and Ploegam, partners in the Mekante Diek project consortium, served as the impetus for the construction of the new charging station. Making the dyke reinforcement project emission-free is the goal. The corporations have joined up to create the fast-charging plaza themselves because there aren’t any locations yet that can accommodate lorries and large pieces of equipment.

The new plaza will be the first public charging station made particularly for truckers and large machinery in the entire world. With 39 charging stations and a scheduling system, there are always enough charging stations for everyone, and clients can be confident they can charge their cars during the time window they have scheduled. Additionally, the plaza will offer a speed of charging of up to 600 kW per charging point, which is now unheard of in the Netherlands.

Charging station for entire area

Because the charging station has more capacity than the project needs, it will also benefit the surrounding area in addition to the project itself. Local suppliers and enterprises can use this extra capacity if they have similar charging requirements. The grid operator frequently denies local operators a heavy-duty connection, which makes it challenging for them to electrify their fleet and machinery. These companies may now invest in environmentally friendly equipment and meet their sustainability goals thanks to the new charging station.

The urgency around zero emissions in the construction industry has increased following a recent decision by the Netherlands’ highest court invalidating the exemption from nitrogen emission regulations for all building activities. The creation of the first public heavy equipment and truck charging station is a significant step toward a sector with zero nitrogen emissions and renewable energy sources.

Image source: Van Oord

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