Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President European Commission and the European Green Deal, Anja van Niersen, CEO Milence, Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Foto: Milence
Milence, a joint venture between Daimler Truck, the TRATON GROUP and the Volvo Group, is opening its largest charging park to date in the port of Antwerp-Bruges. In the presence of Maros Sefcovic, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, the company inaugurates the state-of-the-art charging park for e-trucks. With a total throughput of 289 million tons per year, the port of Antwerp-Bruges is an essential hub for global trade. Its central location, extensive connections and excellent infrastructure make it a true global port and an important hub in the Milence network.
Milence has been driving the transition to e-mobility in road freight transport for two years. With the first large-scale public charging network for the whole of Europe, electric truck transport is set to become a reality quickly – reliable, future-proof, technologically advanced and accessible to all trucks, regardless of brand. The newly opened charging park at the Ketenis truck parking lot marks an important milestone: ten CCS (Combined Charging System) chargers with a charging capacity of up to 400 kW per bay supply a total of twenty parking spaces here. This makes Ketenis the first Milence charging park in Belgium and also its largest in Europe. A second hub at the Goordijk truck park with five CCS chargers for ten bays is to follow this year. Milence is planning a rapid transition to Megawatt Charging System (MCS) for both charging parks as soon as the technology is available.
In order to provide easy access for every truck on the market, Milence has signed agreements with several major eMSPs (e-mobility service providers) in Europe. This partner network will be further expanded. In addition, Milence has also developed a user-friendly app for its customers, allowing them to easily find a charger and pay for charging sessions. Direct payments will also be possible via a payment terminal. Milence’s direct tariff is EUR 0.4 (EUR 0.399) per kWh excluding VAT and transaction costs. This charging tariff applies to all charging parks operated by Milence. It can be found in the Milence app and displayed at the charging station.
Both charging parks on Ketenis and Goordijk contribute to the green transit corridor initiative between the ports of Antwerp and Bruges. They also enable the use of electric heavy goods vehicles. This corridor is part of a broader effort by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges to position itself as a global leader in sustainable port operations. With a clear commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050, the port is already producing significant amounts of renewable energy on site. Solar panels and wind turbines are used for daily operations.
