Construction site electrification – the view from the driver's seat

The City of Stockholm is working towards the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2030. The construction and infrastructure sector accounts for one fifth of Sweden's climate impact, with a significant portion coming from transport within, or to and from, construction and infrastructure sites.

Even with existing technology, there is the potential to halve emissions by 2030. For the sector to become climate-neutral, however, technological shifts, innovations, and substantial investment in electrified solutions are required. For developers to want to invest in electrified construction sites, electrification must be sustainably long-term; electricity used must be renewable, and solutions must be practical for users.

The " View from the Driver's Seat" project aims to facilitate the introduction of electric trucks and electrified work machines at construction sites. The project will test an electric truck, purchased by the City of Stockholm, which will interact with an energy storage system provided by energy company Vattenfall. The tests will be carried out within the framework of the Stockholm Royal Seaport's Construction Consolidation Centre.

Purpose and Goals

The purpose is, among other things, to:

• Identify user patterns and interacting factors for the entire value chain.
• Test energy storage systems to understand how charging infrastructure can optimise electricity usage in interaction with an electric truck and solar cells.
• Develop new business models.

The goal of the project is to facilitate the introduction of electric trucks and electrified work machines at construction sites.

The project aims to present solutions that provide economically and environmentally sustainable electrification. This includes opportunities for electricity storage, reliability of supply, and self-sufficiency.

Results and Experiences

The results show that with the technology for electrified vehicles and battery storage available on the market today, it is possible to electrify construction sites partly or fully. Reaching the industry's goal of 40 per cent less diesel by 2025 and 70 percent less by 2030 is practically achievable. Electric trucks that were tested quickly became popular among drivers and worked well for construction logistics transports. The working environment also improved.

Some key lessons from the study for those wishing to electrify their construction sites are:

• Correctly size batteries on trucks and battery storage facilities.
• Consider using battery storage as it allows for the smoothing of charging effect over a 24-hour period.
• Produce your own electricity. Solar panels can be a valuable source of electricity when it is most needed.

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