De Lijn orders up to 900 charging stations from SPIE-Ekoenergetyka
According to the press release, the 24.2 million euro investment will suffice for “600 to 900 charging stations with a capacity of 50 to 180 kW.” Moreover, the allocation of the charging points will depend on the progress of the infrastructure work at the depots
The order is part of a framework contract signed in November 2023. At the time, De Lijn said it would order up to 1,600 charging points from ABB and SPIE-Ekoenergetyka over a period of eight years.
According to the recent press release, the public transport operator already ordered 403 charging stations in the first round. Following “a mini-competition between SPIE-Ekoenergetyka and ABB,” the second sub-oder was awarded to only one supplier.
“Charging infrastructure is a vital part of greening the fleet,” says Ann Schoubs, CEO of De Lijn. “By 2035, we want to offer completely emission-free public transport. That is why De Lijn has been purchasing only electric buses for several years. In order to be able to charge these buses, we need to have sufficient electricity and charging points available at our 50 depots. This order for charging stations ensures that we will also be able to charge all e-buses.”
Since 2019, the public transport operator De Lijn has exclusively procured buses with low- or zero-emission drives, initially including buses with hybrid drives. In spring of 2022, the board of De Lijn launched a procurement procedure for up to 1,250 electric buses with lengths between 8.5 and 24 metres. This procedure runs parallel to a framework tender from last year for 350 12-metre electric buses. Just last year, the public transport operator ordered 23 electric buses from Iveco, 100 e-buses from Irizar, and, in January 2024, up to 500 electric buses from BYD.
The region of Flanders has the declared goal of offering completely emission-free public transport by 2035. De Lijn says that it wants to make its public transport services emission-free by 2035.
“If we want to contribute to better air quality through public transport, De Lijn must also invest in the necessary charging infrastructure for e-buses,” says Annick De Ridder, Minister of Mobility, Public Works, Ports and Sport. “We are pleased that we can offer 24.2 million euros from the Flemish government to also be able to carry out the less visible investments.”
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