New charging stations for trucks at the Port of Aarhus make it easier to choose electric in the future

The cargo carried by the trucks can be very different, but the trucks themselves almost all have one thing in common. They run on diesel.

But the future looks greener at the Port of Aarhus, as Dania Connect and Norlys have, in collaboration with Port of Aarhus, opened charging stations for trucks at the port area. And once the charging stations are up, it will be easier for hauliers to invest in electric trucks the next time they buy a new one.

We don't see so many electric trucks in the port area yet, and one of the reasons is the lack of charging stations. It's a bit of a chicken-or-egg situation. We know that sometimes you have to take the lead to create change. When someone dares to invest in greener transportation, it becomes easier for others to follow suit

— says Anne Zachariassen, COO of Port of Aarhus.

Dania Connect has invested in seven electric trucks themselves, four of which will operate on Danish roads. At night, they have a secure spot at the two new charging stations in Aarhus, which, with two outlets each, can accommodate all four trucks, as the company has the space to themselves during the night hours.

However, from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the charging stations are publicly accessible, allowing all electric trucks the opportunity to plug in.

"This is 100 percent in line with the way we think about transportation at Dania Connect. Here, we can give external colleagues a chance to solve their problems with charging infrastructure, just as we will need help elsewhere. We are going to have to help each other in this transition until the entire map is filled with charging stations for trucks," says Lars Sørensen, COO at Dania Connect.

The charging stations provide 400 kilowatts, but it can quickly be increased to 800 kilowatts when truck batteries can handle it.

Mads Brøgger, director of Norlys' energy business, is also pleased that the charging stations are now ready.

"For us, there is no doubt that the electrification of heavy transport is the way forward if we want to reach climate goals, and the model with semi-public charging stations has many winners. Hauliers get higher utilization of their charging infrastructure, and society gets the most green transition," he says.

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Even though many hauliers would probably like to be completely climate-neutral with the snap of a finger, the green transition is expensive and cumbersome.

Trucks have to haul many tons hundreds of kilometers every single day, and technology has to keep up if electric trucks are to be attractive.

But according to Dania Connect, they have made the right choice with their new electric vehicles.

Our operation runs an average of 450 kilometers per truck per day, so we are 100 percent sure that electric vehicles fit in with us. Our new blue Scania has a range of 350 to 400 kilometers, so just half an hour on the charger during the day provides enough power

— says Lars Sørensen.

The range in this case is the distance the truck can travel when loaded with 40 tons of cargo.

And even though the technology has not yet produced trucks that can perform Dania Connect's tasks without recharging during the day, Lars Sørensen is not afraid that it will pose challenges for them. At least not when the charging stations are easily accessible.

"The drivers take a break of three quarters of an hour in each driving period, so it's no problem to drive here to the port area in Aarhus, where the trucks often are anyway. The good location is important because we know that there is not much space left at the port," he says.

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The shortage of space is precisely why Anne Zachariassen is very pleased that the stations are publicly accessible during the daytime.

Because it is not realistic for companies to have space for their own charging stations while external trucks also need chargers to park at. But charging stations are necessary if heavy transport is to be electrified.

The port in Aarhus is a hub, and it is therefore appropriate for the port to be part of the national charging network, so trucks traveling to and from the port can get a 'charging boost' from a fast charger

— says Anne Zachariassen.

The charging station in the port area of Aarhus is the sixth in the country to be publicly accessible.