Contargo opens charging infrastructure for e-trucks
On Friday, Container hinterland logistics network Contargo celebrated the official opening of its charging infrastructure for fully-electric trucks at its Neuss terminal. At present the enterprise is installing up to 90 charging points for its growing fleet of e-trucks at 15 of its locations, together with energy management systems that include battery storage – supported by the federal government. This inaugurates Germany’s biggest private charging infrastructure for electric trucks.
Dr. Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, symbolically opening the first eight charging poles in Neuss, said in his speech:
“I am happy that by our support we have initiated the market launch of climate-friendly heavy commercial vehicles, and that it is already proceeding dynamically. Every truck with a climate-friendly drive helps us towards one of our main policy goals: to make our country climate neutral by 2045. Contargo sets an example for the whole sector. It is good to see how wisely the enterprise is using these investments, and how it has recognised the chances of the transformation – in this way we are achieving impressive innovations in Germany together.”
“Today at the Neuss terminal we are opening eight charging points that symbolically represent all the other locations, but stand for much more”, says Jürgen Albersmann, CEO Contargo. “This is the cornerstone for the decarbonisation of our truck fleet. As one of the biggest trimodal hinterland container logistics networks, we have a responsibility to present real solutions in order to actively drive the transport transition, together with our customers. This commitment is important, because combined transport will experience strong growth in the next few years.”
Growth orientation
Similar equipment is being installed just now at 14 other sites of the Contargo Group. 22 charging points at seven different locations, each with an output of 250 kW, are already in operation, and 90 are planned altogether in the near future. By having its own charging infrastructure, the enterprise is able to supply its fully-electric trucks with green electricity.
At present the fleet of fully-electric 44-tonners at Contargo comprises 57 vehicles altogether, with an additional 33 to be delivered shortly. As soon as the 90 charging points are operational, upscaling of the fleet should be possible. Thus the charging infrastructure is oriented towards future growth and should also be able to be used by subcontractors’ vehicles in future.
Pioneering work on the way to a charging infrastructure
“Here, we are not simply dealing with charging poles, but with the complete integration of the charging infrastructure into the ecosystem of the container terminals”, explains Olaf Jahn, operations manager in Neuss with overall responsibility for the project’s energy management at all sites. “Thanks to our intelligent energy management system, we can optimally adapt our various consumers – whether cranes, offices, reefer containers or e-truck charging points – to the available electricity offer.”
In future the Contargo terminals will draw their electricity not only from their external suppliers, but also from recuperated energy from cranes and from photovoltaic installations. Battery systems ensure that no peaks occur that would cause additional expense in operation, and surplus electricity can be stored for use at high demand times.
This integration of the charging infrastructure, carried out without interrupting terminal operations, is an extremely complicated task, as Pinar Yüzgec Elma, project manager of charging infrastructure at Contargo, confirms. “For one thing, we need to coordinate with a very great number of project participants, including network operators, land owners and building authorities. For another, very few of them have any experience with a project of this kind. However, it is impressive to see how everyone is working together on this future-oriented solution.”
86 e-trucks and 93 charging poles are supported by funding of approximately 42.4 million EUR from the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport under the Funding Guidelines for the purchase of commercial vehicles with alternative climate-friendly drivetrains and the deployment of refuelling and charging infrastructure (KsNI). Of this, about 15.1 million EUR are being provided under Germany’s recovery and resilience plan (DARP) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) within the programme NextGenerationEU. The funding guidelines are coordinated by NOW GmbH, (National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology). Applications are approved by the Federal Logistics and Mobility Office (BALM).