Infrastructure, Milence to install 30 charging bays for e-trucks at the port of Antwerp-Bruges
The project is scheduled to open in May 2024. Milence is participating in Solutrans, exhibiting a prototype of megawatt charging system developed with Hitachi.
Milence will install 2 state-of-the-art charging hubs at the Truck Parking Goordijk and Ketenis, port of Antwerp-Bruges, in Belgium. The project announced by the joint venture shared by Volvo, Daimler and Traton – aiming to create the most widespread e-truck charging infrastructure in Europe – is scheduled to open in May 2024, and will comprise two plots with a total of 30 charging bays. The number of charging bays will be increased in a second phase of development.
The 2 charging hubs will initially be equipped with 15 high-performance Combined Charging System (CCS) chargers offering up to 400kW of charging power. Milence also plans a swift transition to Megawatt Charging System (MCS) technology as soon as it becomes available.
Milence is participating in Solutrans: here’s what we saw there
Indeed, we met the Milence team at Solutrans, Lyon, where the company presented a prototype of MCS developed with Hitachi Energy. The MCS prototype will undergo testing in the upcoming months, with the goal of reaching a charging capacity of 1000 A using the ISO15118-20 communication. This milestone will establish the prototype as the market’s quickest charging solution.
The MCS charging system based on this prototype will enable a heavy-duty truck to be charged in just 30-40 minutes, allowing it to travel an additional 500 km. This fits in perfectly with the 45-minute breaks that European truck drivers are required to take every 4-5 hours, allowing them to charge their trucks during regular breaks.
CEO van Niersen speaking
Back to the project announced in Belgium, here’s the comment made by Milence CEO, Anja van Niersen: “I was very happy to reach this agreement between Milence and Port of Antwerp-Bruges as I believe it marks the beginning of a new era in sustainable transport. The development of a 30-bay charging hub for heavy-duty vehicles demonstrates our strong belief that electrification is the clear solution for heavy-duty road transport and our bold commitment to the future of green logistics and clean energy.”
