– We are looking forward to the continuation, says operations manager Ketil Aksnes in the company Verdalskalk. A new electric wagon train has been put into use, which runs on a fixed route between the lime quarry in Tromsdalen and the port in Verdal in Trøndelag. Now they want to buy more electric trucks, but they are struggling to get fast chargers installed. There is a long queue to be connected to the network all over the country. – There is a connection queue in the power grid. Charging players end up far behind and have to wait for larger grid measures before they get electricity. This is what senior engineer Christer Heen Skotland at NVE tells us. This summer, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration submitted a plan to the government for a large roll-out of charging stations for heavy vehicles in the coming years. And from this autumn, Enova is for the first time providing support for setting up chargers along Norwegian national roads. Lack of electricity is a big challenge – also in Verdal. Cheap to charge electricity on the wagon train at the port in Verdal. Satisfied with electric railcar Driver Geir Sverkmo from Verdalskalk says he is very satisfied with the new all-electric railcar. He charges the truck during his lunch break at the company’s own charging station. The wagon train is also charged once during the evening shift – and at night. Electricity is far cheaper than diesel in central Norway, and there is a lot of money to be saved. – We save around NOK 760,000 a year, says operations manager Ketil Aksnes at Verdalskalk. Fuel costs have been cut by as much as 80 per cent on one train. LONG QUEUE: Håkon Mork from Franzefoss Minerals in Verdal is surprised that there will not be enough electricity for more such chargers. Photo: Rita Kleven Struggling to get electricity Now the plan is to buy more electric trucks, but then they have to set up more chargers first. But there is no free space in the network, and they are struggling to get electricity. – The feedback we have received is that it is problematic to set up something as simple as several electric car chargers – here in what is Norway’s third largest industrial area. It really surprised us. That’s what plan and resource manager Håkon Mork says at Franzefoss Minerals, which owns Verdalskalk. – There is relatively little additional consumption of electricity needed. It is surprising that there is no free capacity in the network, he says. QUEUES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY: Senior engineer at NVE, Christer Heen Skotland, says there is limited capacity in the network in many places. Photo: NVE Some have to wait 10 years There are queues to be connected to the grid, and there is a lack of power for new charging stations for heavy traffic across the country. This is what senior engineer at NVE, Christer Heen Skotland, says to news. – In the vast majority of places now there is a connection queue, because there are so many players who want electricity, he says. Charging actors must wait. – How far back in the queue charging operators end up depends on when they ordered the network connection. And how many others have ordered electricity before them, says Christer Heen Skotland in NVE. – How long is the waiting time? – It varies around the country when there is enough electricity for heavy transport. In some places, it may take 10 years to wait for major measures to be taken online, he says. Today’s rules for being connected to the network There is limited capacity in the network in many places, and there is a queue to connect to the network. These are rules that apply now: Grid companies must put customers in a queue based on when they ordered electricity, but to keep their place they must also show progress in their projects. Projects without sufficient progress move down the queue. Source: NVE EMISSION FREE: Drivers on the electric train run from Tromsdalen to the port in Verdal every day until 11pm in the evening. Photo: Rita Kleven Requests power plan Verdalskalk will go ahead. The aim is for all the ten or so wagon trains to be fossil-free by 2030. – Whether it will be a combination of electric wagons and biogas remains to be seen. Access to electricity is critical, says operations manager Ketil Aksnes at Verdalskalk. This summer, the government presented an action plan for faster network development and better utilization of the network. It is not enough, and a discussion is needed about prioritizing the flow, says Håkon Mork from Franzefoss Minerals in Verdal. – There should be clear criteria in place, so that we prioritize what is most beneficial to society and has the greatest climate effect. We need predictability for what is a critical investment factor for business, says Mork. Possible with electric trucks in Norway Technical development has gone faster than expected. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration and the Norwegian Environment Agency therefore recommend that all new trucks in 2030 must be zero-emission trucks or use biogas. It is technically and economically possible for many lorry owners to switch from diesel-powered lorries to electric lorries before 2030. Then reasonable rapid charging must be in place, and that other measures be continued or strengthened somewhat. Source: Report submitted in the summer of 2023 by the Norwegian Environment Agency and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. HAPPY: Driver Geir Sverkmo in the electric train. He says it is quiet and peaceful inside the car, and the car pulls better on downhills than the fossil car, he believes. Photo: Rita Kleven Will roll out new charging stations This autumn, Enova is for the first time providing support to set up fast chargers for heavy vehicles along national roads. The support currently only applies between the cities of Trondheim, Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen and between Oslo and Svinesund. – The purpose is to stimulate increased purchase and use of heavy electric vehicles, in order to displace the fossil fuel alternative. That’s what area manager for land transport in Enova, Marie Tranaas Skjærvik, says. In addition, support is still given to charging stations at Norwegian companies. READY TO INVEST: Marie Tranaas Skjærvik from Enova promises support for charging stations, but knows there is a lack of electricity. Photo: Arne Kristian Gansmo Aware of lack of power Enova is aware of the lack of power for new fast chargers for heavy transport. – It is a challenge we are well aware of. When there are many heavy vehicles that want to charge at the same time, there is a need for a lot of electricity at once. There are consequences when new filling and charging stations are to be installed. – Actors must look for strategic locations, which have both sufficient area and sufficient capacity, says Tranaas Skjærvik. FEW CHARGING STATIONS: There is currently insufficient access to charging stations for heavy transport in Norway. Photo: Rita Kleven Can cut emissions significantly The goal in the national transport plan for 2018–2029 is that half of new car sales in 2030 are zero-emission trucks. Technical development is faster than expected. That is why both the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and the Norwegian Environment Agency now recommend increasing the ambition. They propose that in seven years’ time all new trucks will have zero emissions or use biogas. This is stated in a report presented this summer. – Zero emissions for trucks is the measure that can cut emissions the most in the coming years. This is according to section leader Anna von Streng Velken in the transport section of the Norwegian Environment Agency. – Emissions are not falling fast enough. We must see a completely different pace going forward, if we are to reach the climate targets. She says the challenge now is a lack of electricity to charge heavy vehicles. – We have pointed to that as a main barrier to getting to zero emissions for heavy transport, she says to news. National targets for zero-emission vehicles New passenger cars and light vans must be zero-emission vehicles from 2025 New heavy-duty vans must be zero-emission vehicles from 2030 New city buses must use zero-emission technology or biogas from 2025 By 2030, 75 per cent of new long-distance buses and 50 per cent of new trucks must use zero-emission technology. Source: National transport plan 2018-2029 CAN REDUCE EMISSIONS: Anna von Streng Velken in the Norwegian Environment Agency says large greenhouse gas emissions can be cut with a roll-out of trucks with zero emissions. Photo: Norwegian Environment Agency
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Electricity queue to set up fast chargers in Verdal – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
