Throughout Arnhem, an “industrial charging point” could soon be available almost everywhere, allowing electric cranes and electric trucks to charge. This will be possible because mobile high-power charging units can be connected to roughly half of the city’s more than 4,000 trolley poles. As a result, roadworks and construction projects can largely be carried out emission-free. The municipal executive approved this approach in its Charging Strategy for Construction and Logistics.

A second electricity network
“We want major roadworks to be carried out as emission-free as possible,” said alderman for sustainable mobility Nermina Kundić. “In the coming year, this concerns about 10 to 15 large projects. Zero-emission work means cleaner air and less noise for residents. But it requires sufficient charging points to power all that heavy machinery. With the overloaded electricity grid, that’s a major challenge across the Netherlands. By using Arnhem’s trolley network—unique in the country—this becomes possible. In fact, the trolley network functions as a second power grid, one that is barely used at night.”

Charging at night, working clean during the day
The trolley network extends across the city like a web, meaning a trolley pole is almost always near a construction site. During road reconstruction, several temporary high-capacity charging points can be installed on a trolley pole for the duration of the work. Afterwards, the equipment can be removed and deployed elsewhere in the city.

At night—when few trolleybuses are running—heavy electric equipment can be fully charged. To provide additional electricity during the day, large batteries can also be charged in advance, enabling emission-free work throughout the day.

No disruption to public transport
Arnhem owns the trolley network but works closely with Transdev, which has operated regional bus services in recent years and will continue to do so for the next decade under the name RRReis. “Public transport must not be affected,” Kundić explained. “Trolleybuses still need to charge and run on schedule.”

Hans Aldenkamp, project manager for trolley infrastructure at Transdev, added: “Transdev and innovation go hand in hand. That’s essential, because without innovation progress toward lower emissions and a healthier environment would stall. We are proud to work on this every day together with the municipality, regional SMEs, and students from HAN University of Applied Sciences.”

Charging hubs and fast chargers
Arnhem had previously opened a charging hub for heavy equipment at a fixed location in the new harbor. “Using the trolley network effectively creates around a thousand charging points across the city,” said Kundić. The municipality is also exploring the development of additional permanent charging hubs for industrial use, where daytime charging would be possible, and whether third-party fast-charging locations could also be used.

System builder: Venema Tech, Arnhem
Source: Municipality of Arnhem