We are delighted to be working with our client Artelia on a cutting-edge, clean energy project – one of the first of its kind in the UK – installing ultra-rapid EV charging facilities for energy provider Shell. The scheme will be completed using zero-emission construction machinery, supplied by Volvo Construction Equipment, recharged with electricity certified to come from 100% renewable electricity from Shell Energy.

The site at Acocks Green in Birmingham will see the installation of four 175kW ultra-fast chargers by our Premier Forecourts & Construction team. The project will require a power upgrade for the service station and involve a considerable amount of concrete and asphalt breaking, trenching, and backfilling to install the new infrastructure.

This will be accomplished using a 2.5 tonne Volvo ECR25 Electric excavator operated by our experienced staff over the nine-week duration of the project. It is expected that the vehicle’s almost silent operation, compared to traditional diesel machines will reduce the impact on the service station’s staff, customers, and the wider environment while the site remains open.

The project is being used by Shell to trial the equipment, with monitoring and calculation of the CO2 savings being undertaken by Volvo Construction Equipment, and reporting of the performance, practicality and economy being delivered by Artelia.

If the project is deemed a success, future Shell service station upgrades could be conducted using more electric construction equipment, and the use of similar green technologies will become the norm across the construction sector.