Port of Rotterdam opens first charging station for electric trucks

Truckparkings Rotterdam Exploitatie (TRE) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority opened the first charging station for electric trucks in the Dutch port.

The new station is located at the Bodaanweg truck park in Waalhaven.

TRE has worked with the Port of Rotterdam Authority to install the first five charging points in the truck park, which can accommodate a total of eight electric trucks. The truck parks are designed to be safe and comfortable and there is 24/7 surveillance of parking and charging bays. Reservations are not yet necessary for charging, so e-trucks can report directly via the intercom at the entry point. E-trucks do not pay a parking fee but may use all the facilities of the secure truck park.

Ton Barten, director of TRE, stated, “Carriers can schedule smart combinations by, for example, charging their trucks while drivers stay in the truck park for mandatory rest. A comfortable, safe and easy switch to sustainable transport without any loss of time. This paves the way for carriers to become more sustainable and invest in an electric fleet.”

The project in Waalhaven was realised in cooperation with ABB E-mobility, Batenburg Techniek, KWS Infra, Stedin and VARO Energy, which manages the charging infrastructure for TRE. Additionally, the initiative is part of the Rijkswaterstaat Living Labs Heavy Duty Charging Stations programme.

Boudewijn Siemons, interim CEO and COO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. commented, “Sustainable logistics is a key pillar of our strategy for a future-proof port with net zero CO2 emissions. Providing charging infrastructure for trucks can make the transport sector more sustainable. Electric cargo transport also contributes directly to better air quality in the port.”

A January 2022 TNO study commissioned by the Port of Rotterdam Authority shows that around 2,000 electric trucks can be expected in the port area by 2030. This will require about 50 charging points.

Companies like Innocent Drinks and Den Hartogh already put the first 50-tonne electric trucks into service in Rotterdam in 2021. In 2022, DFDS placed an order for more than 125 e-trucks in Europe, some of which will also be deployed in Rotterdam.