Charging connections for heavy vehicles

Demand for heavy vehicle charging is increasing rapidly in Sweden, leading companies such as Laddbolaget i Värmland AB to begin installing charging stations to support the role out. With such high voltage levels required – capable of disrupting the local grid – new solutions were necessary. To meet the energy demand, Laddbolaget installed its own high-voltage transformers and installed two power cabinets in the charging park. The 1 kV power cables are used between the transformer and the power cabinets and then on to the charging stations, where the delivery of the cable has been crucial to the project.

The charging station is currently under construction. Once complete, 12 heavy vehicle chargers will supply trucks up to 400kW each, allowing some of the trucks to fully charge in an hour. To put that in context, a home charger for a typical EV has an 11 kW capacity. 

- We are seeing increasing demand for a heavy vehicle charging network across Sweden as more companies make the switch to electric trucks. As they do this, it is vital that there is a supporting charging network for their drivers to use to ensure continuity to transportation. A company we work with had five electric trucks last year, this year they have 25 electric trucks. To offer electric vehicles and trucks in transportation is required in public procurements and that’s a major contributing factor to the increased number of vehicles. Customers simply want greener transport, says Anders Olsson at Elcenter AB, who installs the chargers in the park.

This charging park is part of the charging company's major investment in heavy vehicle charging. A total of eight charging parks are being built at strategic locations in the region. The delivery from NKT will be used on several sites, including two sites in Karlstad. 

- With the liquid-cooled rapid chargers, you can charge with an output of 400 kW, while the 150 kW depot chargers are meant to be used for night-time charging. In the near future, Megawatt charging (1000 kW) will be available on the Swedish market. This is a lot of power that needs to be delivered and a challenge is that there may not be sufficient power in the main grid where we want to place the charging park. But it has worked out well so far, says Anders Olsson. 

- We have had good collaboration with NKT for a long time and they were able to produce this large cable order in a short time. From order to delivery it has taken just over a month, says Per Larsson, who is the Competence Center Manager at Solar in Karlstad and NKT's contact person in the project.

There are plans for more charging parks in strategic locations in the south central part of Sweden. The cable order from NKT will be used on several sites.

- Cable access has been a very important parameter for these charging parks to become successful projects. Our quality assurance and the fact that we can be responsive to the customer's wishes with a short delivery time is a great strength, says Matz Söderberg, who is customer manager at NKT. He is looking forward to see more and more charging stations installed.

- Vehicle charging is an important strategic segment for us. There is a high demand on electrification in Sweden right now. As we see more electrical demand and production, our power cables play a critical role in connecting and transmitting this power. The shift to electrical trucks is a fantastic example where Sweden is leading the way and it is vital that the supporting infrastructure is in place. The transportation industry plays a vital role in keeping businesses and the economy moving – for them to do this in a more sustainable manner is a step in the right direction. I’m very happy that NKT can support and contribute to a faster transition to sustainable energy, says Matz.