Knowledge Session Collective Charging Plazas

On May 21, 2025 PVB Limburg organized a successful knowledge session on collective charging plazas. With 32 participants, we found just the right balance: intimate enough for open conversations, but also diverse enough for valuable insights and discussions - exactly what we had in mind. The result: good conversations, sharp questions and inspiring examples.

The afternoon began with a clear presentation by Jan-Willem of LIOF, who took the participants through the many ongoing initiatives around making business parks more sustainable. He gave an overview of the PVB Limburg program, the Smart Energy Hub scheme (SEH) and the (micro)SME (OMKB) relief program. The National Charging Infrastructure Agenda (NAL) plans for charging plazas were also discussed.

Jan-Willem emphasized how these schemes reinforce each other, with a clear connection between informing, organizing, developing and financing. It immediately gave participants a solid foundation for the rest of the afternoon: insight into the bigger picture as well as the concrete tools that are already available.

Green Caravan: Mobile, fossil-free charging solutions

Then Ferry Tap of Green Caravan took the floor and introduced us to an innovative take on fossil-free charging. Green Caravan develops mobile and sustainable charging solutions, with batteries and solar panels at their core. Their mission is clear: to make it possible to charge completely off-grid, without dependence on the traditional electricity grid. During the presentation, Ferry explained how their systems address the growing demand for flexible charging solutions, including at truck parking centers, where charging capacity is often lacking or unreliable.

The Green Caravan pilot provided many insights. The biggest challenge proved to be the power supply: being completely self-sufficient is technically possible, but complex in practice. The battery acts as a buffer, but with intensive use it runs out of power faster than hoped. This makes smart charging and good planning indispensable.

What makes Green Caravan unique is its location-independent technology. Whether it is a business park, construction site or remote parking spot - as long as there is space, their system can be deployed. The condition, however, is that it fits within a company's daily operations. Fortunately, they actively think about this: customization is not a promise at Green Caravan, but daily practice.

Milence: European fast charging network for e-trucks

Mick Siero took us into the world of Milence, an organization with an ambitious mission: to realize a large-scale European charging network specifically for electric trucks. Not only is Milence working on places where trucks can charge efficiently, they are also creating rest areas for drivers - places where taking a breather along the way is part of the charging process.

The strategy is clear: focus on the busiest transportation routes and highway interchanges. There, where logistics is on the move, Milence wants to establish its hubs. But that requires the right conditions: a location must be approximately 4,000 to 5,000 square meters in size and have a sufficiently heavy power connection.

The loading itself is done through a smart reservation system - the booking tool. With this, carriers can plan their loading session in advance, ensuring that there is room. And there is plenty of that space right now. But note that only e-trucks are welcome. Electric vans are excluded from the model; the expected congestion and power consumption of trucks make smaller vehicles unprofitable within this network.

Finally, Milence offers a subscription model where the charging profile is tailored to the type of truck and specific route. Smart charging, focused on the practicalities of the transportation industry, that's what Milence is wholeheartedly committed to.

Stantec: Smart solutions for grid capacity

Kay Beckers of Stantec captivated the room with inspiring practical examples from the region, including some notable successes in the municipality of Maastricht. As a consulting and engineering firm focusing on infrastructure, sustainability and energy solutions, Stantec knows how to translate complex issues into feasible plans.

In his talk, Kay showed how a smart approach can achieve a lot, even within the limitations of the current energy grid. For example, power is increasingly being exchanged between locations so that sufficient capacity is still available at peak times. The use of block power - where power is taken at night, when there is more room on the grid - also proved to be an effective strategy to spread the load on the grid throughout the day.

A practical tip from the session: those who want to get started with block power should expect a lead time of about 20 working days for the application. A matter of good preparation - but then there are great opportunities for smart and sustainable charging.

Trenportal: Grants and support

The last presentation in the plenary program was given by Mark Luikens of Trensportal. In a clear and practical talk, he gave participants insight into the world of subsidies, procedures and support options around mobility projects. Trensportal specializes in guiding companies that want to take steps towards more sustainable mobility, and does so by not only giving advice on the right schemes, but also by supporting the application as well as the implementation.

Mark showed that, despite the often complex regulations, there are many opportunities for companies that want to invest in electric charging. From national subsidies to regional initiatives: with the right approach and guidance, becoming sustainable suddenly becomes a lot more accessible.

His contribution dovetailed perfectly with the afternoon's earlier presentations. Where others focused on technology and practice, Trensportal added the financial and procedural perspective. This gave attendees a complete picture of what is already possible today - and how you as an organization can take advantage of it.

Practical assignment: case study of the Wolfskoul business park

After a short break, it was time to turn theory into practice. The participants got to work in groups on a concrete case study: how to organize collective charging in the Wolfskoul business park. The challenge was anything but theoretical - the scenario took into account a mix of users, such as driving schools, delivery trucks and general business activity, each with their own charging profile and different grid capacities as a starting point.

It quickly became clear that practice does not always match theory. For example, driving school cars drive on average about 12 hours a day, and it is simply not an option to "idle for 15 minutes" to recharge. Participants explored alternatives, such as charging during lunch breaks or in smart blocks of one to two hours. This also highlighted the importance of smart software: without proper planning and coordination between vehicles and charging points, bottlenecks quickly arise.

The case study made for lively discussions, in which creative ideas, practical experiences and critical questions were given plenty of space. The participants called the assignment topical, realistic and instructive - exactly what you hope for from a working session where theory meets practice.

We look back on a successful and valuable afternoon, in which theory and practice came together in an inspiring way. Thanks to all the speakers and participants for their openness, commitment and contributions.