Shell and Remitrans have opened the first semi-public charging station (400 kW) for electric trucks in Wallonia in Ath. Anyone can use it between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. At night, Remitrans uses the two charging points to charge its e-trucks.
The new charging station is part of the Shell Recharge network in Belgium. By opening up the charging infrastructure to third parties during the day, companies can reduce their total cost of ownership (TCO) of electric trucks by up to 25%, according to Shell. “In addition, depot managers save on their energy costs thanks to intelligent energy management,” says Jannes Colaert, Managing Director of Shell Belgium. “Collaborations such as the one with Remitrans are crucial to accelerate the energy transition in the transport sector.”
Today, Remitrans has five electric trucks – four from Mercedes-Benz and one from Volvo. At its headquarters in Ninove, the company has its own charging points, which are exclusively intended for its own fleet. The site in Ath has two charging stations: one with a capacity of 180 kW and the semi-public charging point of 400 kW. The latter also offers other transporters the opportunity to quickly top up during their journeys in the region.
Source of income
“For me, this charging station is much more than a technological advancement,” says Frank Coppens, Logistics Manager at Remitrans. “It is a smart investment. Thanks to the semi-public model, we make optimal use of our infrastructure while creating a new source of income when our trucks are on the road. With smart charging, we manage our energy consumption more efficiently and reduce our costs without disrupting our operations. The partnership with Shell helps us find a balance between economic performance and sustainability – and that is exactly what we are looking for in our transition to electric transport.”
