We launch with Disfrimur the first Mediterranean corridor for emission-free heavy road transport

• The companies have inaugurated specific charging points for 100% electric trucks in Sangonera la Seca (Murcia) and San Isidro (Alicante)
• The charging stations will serve the Disfrimur fleet and, as they are for public use, will also be open to trucks and vans from other companies and individuals

Iberdrola and Disfrimur have launched the first electrification project of the Mediterranean corridor for road freight transport, which will accelerate the decarbonisation of a sector that is strategic for the national economy as 96% of goods transported in Spain are transported by road and is responsible for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in its area.

Both companies have inaugurated specific charging points for trucks at Disfrimur's logistics bases located in Sangonera la Seca (Murcia) and San Isidro (Alicante) next to the A-7, which in the first phase have two 180 kilowatt (kW) chargers in each facility. The charging points will be for public use, so they will also be available for trucks and vans belonging to other companies, as well as for light vehicles.

The second phase of the project, planned for 2024, will enable the addition of a 1,200 kW MCS (Megawatt Charging System) charger to each of the bases, which will enable trucks with batteries of more than 600 kWh to be charged in around 30 minutes, a time similar to the mandatory rest stops. Iberdrola and Ingeteam, the Spanish company specialising in power electronics, are currently developing the first commercial charger with this technology, which will enable such high charging speeds, essential for the electrification of long-distance freight transport, or to provide 24/7 freight distribution services.

These recently commissioned facilities are in addition to Iberdrola's ultra-fast charging station in Elche, the most powerful electric vehicle charging hub in southern Europe, which also has specific charging stations for trucks at kilometre 25 of the A-70 motorway in both directions, with power ratings of 400 kW and 200 kW, meaning that the company now provides service for a stretch of approximately 100 kilometres.

This marks the first milestones in the creation of the Mediterranean corridor for 100% electric road transport, which will run through the Region of Murcia and the Region of Valencia, and which will enable the circulation of heavy vehicles between Puerto Lumbreras and Vinaròs, more than 450 kilometres of emission-free freight transport routes, with the aim of extending the project to the rest of the country's corridors in the coming years.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Director General of Land Transport, Jaime Moreno, from the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, who was accompanied by Raquel Blanco, Global Director of Smart Mobility at Iberdrola; Juan Jesús Sánchez, Director General of Disfrimur; as well as various authorities and businessmen from both regions.

For Raquel Blanco, in addition to the environmental advantages of having this type of vehicle in the area, with silent last mile delivery and no local or global emissions as the energy is of renewable origin, "the electrification of transport is an opportunity for companies and for society in general, as, by charging the trucks with 100% renewable energy, emission-free transport is achieved both locally and at source. In addition, electricity is a very competitive option and reduces the operating costs of electric trucks, so this type of initiative, in addition to helping to combat climate change, strengthens the competitiveness of regional economies and, therefore, national economies".

For his part, Juan Jesús Sánchez, said that this is a special day for Disfrimur in its roadmap towards invisible transport: "Today we are taking a very important step with the commissioning of these two charging stations. The decarbonisation of road transport is one of our challenges and with electrification we now operate with three types of fuel and we want to continue offering our customers efficient, safe, quality and increasingly sustainable transport".

Disfrimur already has two 27-ton Scania trucks and a 40-ton Volvo trailer in service covering the route from the San Isidro logistics base to Alicante and from Sangonera la Seca to Murcia, powered by 100% renewable electric energy, which allows them to carry out last-mile deliveries to their customers without any emissions. The company also plans to continue adding electric trucks to its fleet.

It should be noted that users of these facilities will recharge the battery of their electric cars with 100% green energy, from renewable generation sources, with a guarantee of origin certificate (GdOs) and the charging points will be located in the Iberdrola Public Charging App, from which you can geolocate the charger, check its operation in real time and book and pay from your mobile phone.

Network infrastructure development

This project has also been promoted from the outset by i-DE, the distribution company of the Iberdrola group, as its implementation has required a smart grid infrastructure capable of servicing these chargers, ensuring maximum efficiency, which increases the use of the distribution grid and requires demand level management capacity.   

i-DE, in its commitment to the achievement of this project, is responsible, among other things, for analysing possible recharging point sites, selecting those that are most efficient and applying technological innovation developments that enable the achievement of the objective, as well as providing the technical and administrative advice necessary for the proper completion of the access and connection procedures for the recharging points.

Electric mobility and green recovery

Iberdrola is rolling out a sustainable mobility plan, with which it will intensify the deployment of charging points for electric vehicles in the coming years. The initiative envisages the installation of charging points in homes and businesses, as well as on urban roads, in cities and on major highways in the coming years. The commitment to the deployment of charging stations will take the form of ultra-fast (over 350 kW), super-fast (over 100 kW) and fast (50 kW) stations. 

Iberdrola is aware of the need to promote electromobility in Spain through coordinated and effective action with the main agents involved. In this regard, the company has already completed more than 60 infrastructure deployment agreements with administrations, institutions, companies, service stations, dealers and electric vehicle manufacturers.

The electricity company was the first Spanish company to sign up to The Climate Group's EV100 initiative, with the aim of accelerating the transition to electric vehicles, committing to electrify its entire fleet of vehicles and facilitate charging for staff in its businesses in Spain and the United Kingdom by 2030.