The EST BoostCharger™ mobile fast charger helps to electrify the construction industry

Construction sites have a large carbon footprint, accounting for 11 per cent of the total carbon emissions from global buildings.

Diesel-powered heavy machinery contributes to this. Although electric construction equipment exists, most power grids lack the capacity to charge it quickly enough. As a result, electric machinery is often impractical to use, which may discourage construction companies from adopting eco-friendly alternatives.

The EST BoostCharger™ is a mobile fast charger that powers electric machinery and vehicles at construction sites. The solution has several CCS2 chargers at 150 kW with200-800 VDC as well as a 180 kW, 400/230 VAC connection, making it suitable for all types of machinery. It can also supply power to any other consumers on site.

The charger is comprised of a huge lithium battery pack and a series of inverters and controllers mounted in a mobile container. Available in various sizes, the container can be easily moved from one construction site to the next.

With the EST BoostCharger™, construction companies can more easily make the transition from fossil-fuelled to electric machinery.

Most importantly, the time needed to charge the electric machinery is significantly reduced, from six to eight hours through the power grid to just one hour with the fast charger. This allows contractors and property developers to electrify construction sites while maintaining operational efficiency.

Moreover, the charger optimises power use by acting as a peak shaver, levelling out peaks in electricity use. The result is increased energy efficiency, cost savings for construction companies and less burden on the power grid. There is no need to expand grid capacity solely for construction purposes.

The charger also accommodates the most common charging interfaces for electric vehicles.

As the market for electric construction machinery and vehicles grows, the need for mobile fast chargers will follow. It is estimated that over 200 electric construction excavators, over 100 electric trucks and several hundred electric buses will be sold in Scandinavia in 2021, and that 30–40 construction sites will need mobile chargers due to insufficient grid capacity. Additionally, many Scandinavian cities have introduced policies requiring zero-emission construction sites, and other European cities are moving in this direction.

The EST BoostCharger™ is market ready. The target market includes construction companies, machine owners, machine rental companies and property developers in Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. The company sees market potential in other sectors as well, such as trucks and buses, private electric cars and offshore vessels.