– Through this project, we can take important steps – E24

On Monday, a plan to develop charging stations for electric buses and trucks was handed over to the government. – Transport Minister Jan-Iver Nygaard says emissions from heavy transport must be drastically reduced.

On Monday, the government received a proposal from the National Roads Administration, Enova and Ny Veer on how charging stations can be built to facilitate the increased use of electric heavy-duty vehicles on Norwegian roads.

– To achieve our climate commitments and climate targets, emissions from heavy transport must be drastically reduced, Transport Minister Jan-Iver Nygaard said in a statement. news.

He believes electric trucks and buses will soon become as important a part of emissions reductions as electric passenger cars.

– but it needs charging facilities. With this project, important steps can be taken towards the electrification of heavy transport, says Nygaard.

Challenge in the middle sections

In the project, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Enova and Nyveer, among others, have mapped where the country has the most traffic and where charging stations should be provided first.

The project envisages provision of more electric long-distance transport in a few central areas with 10-20 charging stations in the first phase. These include Oslo-Svinesund and the “8-hour extensions” Oslo-Kristiansand-Stavanger, Oslo-Bergen and Oslo-Trondheim.

In the next phases, the plan proposes to build charging stations at 80-100 locations on national roads. Among other things, the project highlights the need for chargers on important freight corridors in southern Norway and on the Bodø-Fauske-Narvik-Tromsø axis in the north.

The government has proposed to speed up installation and operation of high-traffic charging stations without public assistance.

“It provides guidance for the project and indicates that it is a needs survey, not a plan with strategies, procedures or a detailed timetable for implementation,” write the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Enova and Ny Veer. project.

Important for climate mitigation

The Climate Directorate’s recent report on potential climate action up to 2030 identified reaching a 100 percent electric share in new truck sales as a key action for the transport sector.

The government has set a target of reducing domestic climate emissions by 55 percent by 2030. This means that emissions should be reduced from about 49 million tons annually to 23 million tons annually.

“If we could put 10,000 additional zero-emission trucks on the road by 2030, this would reduce CO2-equivalent emissions by up to 500,000 tonnes per year,” the players in the project write.

Recently, several transportation agencies submitted a report that said it was unrealistic for the transportation sector to meet its 2030 climate goals. Avinor, Ban Nor, Norwegian Railway Directorate, Coastal Administration, Norwegian Road Administration and Ny. Weir.

– Analyzes carried out show that climate targets cannot be achieved by 2030 using realistic measures and the associated necessary instruments. Report From six agencies – Aviner, Ban Nor, Norwegian Railway Directorate, Coastal Administration, Norwegian Road Administration and Ny Veer.

– As fast as possible

In December, the government presented a charging strategy, a continuation of a new plan by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Enova and Ny Veer.

All three players say the earlier intention was to gradually expand the charging infrastructure.

“With more ambitions to reduce emissions by 2030, and with more and more car models on the roads, this is no longer a clear strategy,” the plan says.

“We are approaching a point where we need to build as quickly as possible,” they write.

Lack of power and network

Concerns over the implementation of the plan for more charging stations include power and grid shortages, the National Roads Administration, Enova and Nai Veer are involved in the project.

“Through the knowledge base and charging program, there is a systematic and consistent feedback from players in the value chain for charging: it demands access to power,” they write.

The plan points out that connectivity, processing time and limitations in the network are the biggest obstacles to electrifying heavy transport in Norway.

“Many charging operators report that charging stations are unrealized or suspended indefinitely. Feedback from grid companies may take time, other players may have locked capacity in the grid, and grid companies are perceived to be very passive regarding the development of the power grid,” the players write.

Ten percent are electric trucks

The government says that by 2023 nearly ten percent of all new trucks sold will be electric. They want the stock to increase even faster and hope the new plan will contribute to this.

At the end of 2022, there are 68,407 trucks registered in Norway, of which around 35,000 are used for freight transport in Norway. The plan says there were 455 electric trucks.

The plan also indicates several requirements for charging stations. Among others, there should be an exit ready for heavy vehicles, a staging area that does not require reversing, at least four outlets with high power, and ease of charging and payment. In addition, charging stations must have access to a toilet and wash hand basin.

– I think we can achieve a similar development for heavy vehicles as we have seen with passenger cars, but this would require trucks to cover long distances tolls along the way. Charging should be tied to drivers’ legal breaks, says Nygaard.