Belgian region of Flanders to build 49 HPC points
The government of the Belgian region of Flanders has announced an investment of 5.4 million euros in fast-charging infrastructure. A total of 49 HPC (high power charging) points with at least 150 kW are to be built along expressways and rural roads by mid-2024.
Eight HPC locations are planned in the province of Antwerp, seven in Limburg, 13 each in East Flanders and Flemish Brabant, and eight in West Flanders, according to the Flemish Ministry of Transport. The charging points are to be set up at locations such as carpool parking areas, park & ride zones, commercial and service zones.
The region has ambitious goals for the expansion of charging: In November 2020, the Flemish Minister of Transport, Lydia Peeters, set a target of 30,000 charging points by 2025 although most of these are to be AC charging points. The Dutch company Fastned, among others, is involved in the HPC expansion along the motorways: At the end of 2019, Fastned secured approval for 13 motorway sites, and in July 2021, Fastned was awarded the contract for ten more sites in Flanders.
The effort to build out charging infrastructure stems from the state government’s goal of gradually phasing out the sale of cars and vans with internal combustion engines in favour of electrically powered vehicles from 2029. In the climate protection plan presented in November 2021, hybrid vehicles are also counted as internal combustion vehicles.
“The car parks along large and busy traffic axes are important and strategically located locations for expanding our charging infrastructure,’ says Peeters. ‘In this way, we ensure that charging infrastructure is offered every 25 kilometres along major traffic axes.”
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