Maxem x Jan Bakker | Operational certainty as the starting point
Charging 20 e-trucks on a connection of just 64kW
Twenty electric trucks charging on a grid connection of just 64 kW. It sounds like an impossible task, but for Jan Bakker it has become daily practice. Together with Maxem, HMB and Scholt Energy, the family business developed a smart energy solution that enables further electrification without compromising operations.
kWh charged
Charged on solar
Grid-dependent
Photo: Jan Bakker
kWh charged
Charged on solar
Grid-dependent
Photo: Jan Bakker
Electrifying a transport fleet without grid expansion
Jan Bakker from Hattemerbroek has been a household name in the transport world for years. The family business is active in sectors including agriculture and infrastructure, two markets where demand for emission-free operations is growing fast.
To keep meeting that demand in the future, Jan Bakker is investing heavily in electrifying its fleet. But that immediately presented a challenge: how do you charge twenty electric trucks when the grid connection is only 64 kW?
For a transport company, a stationary truck is not an option. Vehicles have to be ready to depart every morning, regardless of the limitations of the energy grid. Without smart energy control, energy demand threatened to limit the further electrification of the fleet.
Together with Maxem, HMB and Scholt Energy, Jan Bakker therefore developed a solution that enables electrification without compromising daily operations.
Photo: Jan Bakker
More charging capacity than the connection allows
On Jan Bakker's site, an innovative energy ecosystem was built in which charging infrastructure, battery storage, solar energy and a backup generator work together as a single system. Despite a contracted capacity of just 64 kW, this makes more than 1.3 MW of charging power available.
The solution in figures:
- 23 charging spots for electric trucks
- 16 DC charging points with a maximum capacity of 120 kW
- 4 DC fast chargers with a maximum capacity of 240 kW
- 3 AC chargers with a maximum capacity of 11 kW
- 6 MWh of battery storage
- 1.8 MWp of solar panels
- 64 kW contracted capacity
- More than 1.3 MW of available charging power
Quote Maxem
“Many companies see grid congestion as a brake on electrification. This project shows that it is mainly a question of smart energy management. When you organize energy, storage and charging as a single system, much more is often possible than you'd think.”
Ivo Smink
Technical Sales Engineer, Maxem Energy Solutions
Energy as a single smart system
Maxem provides the intelligent control of the complete energy system. Solar energy is used directly to charge vehicles. Surplus energy is stored in the battery and used later when demand rises or the sun generates less. If there is spare capacity in the batteries that is not needed for charging the trucks, Scholt Energy deploys it on the energy markets, day-ahead and imbalance. This happens automatically through an API connection between the two systems.
Only when local energy sources do not supply enough capacity is additional power drawn from the grid. At the same time, GridGuard continuously monitors the connection limit, so the contracted capacity is never exceeded. If needed, additional capacity can be supplied automatically by a supporting generator, which on average has been used only 4% of the time over the past few years.
This creates maximum charging capacity within the limits of the existing grid connection, without any risk of overload or disruption to operations.
Photo: Jan Bakker
The result
Thanks to this approach, Jan Bakker has full operational certainty. All electric trucks are charged when the schedule requires it, while the available grid capacity is used optimally. The solution also delivers additional benefits:
Maximum use of locally generated solar energy
Lower energy costs through battery storage and peak shaving
Extra revenue through ERE registration
Room for further electrification without grid expansion
The project shows that grid congestion does not have to be a reason to postpone electrification. By organizing energy smartly, room is created to keep becoming more sustainable within the existing infrastructure. An approach that fits perfectly with Jan Bakker's motto: daring to invest in the future together.
Photo: Jan Bakker
Maxem's role
Within this collaboration, Maxem contributed to:
- Dynamic capacity management within a 64 kW connection
- Charge Point Management for 23 charging bays
- Smart Charging and ERE management
- Real-time control of charging infrastructure, battery storage and solar energy
- Integration of three battery systems (6 MWh) as a single virtual battery
- Peak shaving for optimal use of available capacity
- Solar Curtailment for intelligent use of locally generated energy. The Maxem Energy Controller manages the 1.8 MWp PV installation
- GridGuard for 24/7 monitoring of the contracted connection limit
- Automatic activation of a generator when additional capacity is needed