Shell pilots on-site battery system for ultra-fast charging
Launched at a staton in the Netherlands, the Shell-Alfen pilot project will allow drivers to simultaneously use the site’s two 175kW charge points.
Shell and Alfen have launched a pilot to trial an on-site battery-powered system to support ultra-fast electric vehicle charging at Shell’s Zaltbommel forecourt in the Netherlands, allowing drivers to simultaneously use the site’s two 175kW charge points, according to a press release.
The pilot combines Alfen’s battery with Shell’s fast charging expertise to enable fast charging at grid-constrained locations.
Connected to a Virtual Power Plant (VPP), the system will use the spare capacity of the battery to sell electricity back to the grid at peak demand moments, generating revenues for the site, notes the release.
The solution could power both Shell owned retail stations and also the company’s customers premises, says Roger Hunter, Vice President Electric Mobility at Shell.
The pilot comes only weeks after Shell set out its strategy to accelerate its transformation into a provider of net-zero emissions energy products and services, powered by growth in its customer-facing businesses. This includes an aim to grow its global EV network to around 500,000 charge points by 2025.
Shell Recharge, Shell’s electric mobility brand, is installing fast chargers on the Shell forecourts in the Netherlands. At this moment, already more than 160 fast chargers are installed at Shell stations.
