04. Aug. 2025

Pioneering Shared Heavy-Duty Charging in Belgium: SBRS and Remitrans Launch a First-of-Its-Kind Semi-Public Depot

Partner Stories

Innovation

Electric Remitrans truck charging at a Shell Recharge station at the semi-public depot in Ath, Belgium, surrounded by stacked crates and pallets.

A fully electric truck from Remitrans charging at the new SBRS-installed semi-public depot in Ath, Belgium – an innovative charging model that combines private fleet use with public access during off-peak hours.

The electrification of road freight is accelerating, and at SBRS, we are proud to be at the forefront of enabling this transformation. Our latest partnership with Remitrans, a leading Belgian logistics company, marks a significant milestone, not just for SBRS, but for the future of electric truck charging in Europe.

This week we completed the installation and commissioning of Remitrans’ depot in Ath, Belgium. We delivered a fit for purpose charging solution tailored to the operational needs of their growing electric fleet that included our SBRS 180 Flex charge post and an Alpitronic HYC 400. This project goes beyond the standard depot model. By taking the best of our ChargePoint operational capabilities delivered through Shell Recharge, we’ve launched a new semi-public charging offer that reimagines how heavy-duty infrastructure can serve both private fleet operators and the growing needs of the wider heavy duty transport ecosystem.

Illustration of different truck charging infrastructures, including private depot, semi-public depot, public Shell Recharge station, and roaming network – all connected via Shell Energy and the Shell Card.

Graphic overview of SBRS’s integrated charging network – from private and semi-public depots to public networks and Shell Recharge.

A New Customer Value Proposition: Semi-Public Charging

At the heart of this project is a commitment to shared infrastructure through our semi-public charging offer. In simple terms, this means that Remitrans’ depot, will now partially available for public charging. During the day, when Remitrans’ vehicles are not using the infrastructure, Shell Recharge can offer access to two charging bays powered by a 400KW charge post to other electric truck drivers and fleet customers. Remitrans will also retain full private access to their 180KW charge for exclusive use by their own fleet.

Detailed illustration of a combined private and semi-public truck depot

The hybrid depot model at Remitrans combines private fleet charging with public access infrastructure – creating new value through shared utilisation.

It’s a win-win-win model:

Remitrans earns additional income by monetising idle charger capacity.
Shell Recharge gains a new heavy-duty charging location in Belgium, expanding its network in a high-demand corridor.
Fleet operators and hauliers benefit from increased charging availability at a secure, well-maintained depot site.

This is shared charging, optimised for the realities of heavy-duty logistics.

Close-up of a Shell Recharge 400 kW charging station in front of a red electric Remitrans truck at the newly launched semi-public depot

A 400 kW Shell Recharge charging point at the Remitrans depot – now accessible to other electric truck fleets during daytime hours.

Solving the Utilisation Challenge in Truck Charging

One of the key challenges in scaling up electric truck infrastructure is utilisation. We recognise that high-powered chargers can represent a significant capital commitment to install and maintain. For a typical depot, peak usage occurs during short overnight or mid-day windows, leaving valuable infrastructure underused for large parts of the day. Unlike passenger car charging, truck charging requires precise operational coordination, and unused chargers represent lost economic potential. Our semi-public model addresses this head-on. By opening unused capacity to the public via a trusted CPO like Shell Recharge, we help fleet operators sweat their assets, accelerate return on investment, and reduce the total cost of ownership for electric trucks. It also supports broader grid efficiency by spreading demand across time periods and users.

Shell Recharge heavy-duty charging station at the Remitrans depot, with an electric truck parked in the background.

The Shell Recharge charger at Remitrans’ site enables flexible depot and semi-public charging for electric heavy-duty vehicles.

What Makes This Model Work?

There are three critical ingredients that made this model viable at Remitrans:

1. Smart Design & Load Management

The depot has been designed to fit alongside and aid the current operations and not disrupt it whilst ensuring energy needs of the entire site are balanced and the needs of Remitrans’ fleet are always prioritised, even while supporting external users.

2. Trusted CPO Partnership

Shell Recharge’s ability to maximise charge uptime and provide 24/7 support ensures a seamless experience for all users, all with adding operational burden on Remitrans.

3. Powered by the Shell Card

The Shell Fleet Card is at the heart of the semi-public charging offer. It gives thousands of our existing fleet customers seamless access to the Remitrans site while service as a one-stop-shop payment method. It allows Shell to authorise and invoice all charging from various fleets and providing Remitrans with a single, consolidated reimbursement.

A blueprint for the industry

We believe this project provides a blueprint for shared heavy-duty charging across Europe. As more logistics operators transition to electric fleets, depot charging will remain the backbone of operational reliability. But by rethinking utilisation, these same depots can evolve into multi-use assets that serve the wider industry while creating new revenue streams. At SBRS, we see this as a pivotal step in developing a more sustainable and economically resilient charging network. It’s not just about building more it’s about building smarter.
We’re pleased to have launched this offer alongside such a pioneering and willing partner like Remitrans who are not only leading the way when it comes to electrifying and de-carbonising their operations, but they recognise the need for collaboration and partnership in the interest of the industry. We’re proud to be collaborating with Remitrans.

Frank Coppens: Logistiek Manager Remitrans

Shared Charging, Shared Success.

We’re delighted to be working with Shell as our fleet electrification partner. Together, we carefully aligned the required EV charging infrastructure at our depot with the unique operational requirements of our fleet of eTrucks. As a result, we realised that Shell’s Semi Public format was ideal, enabling us to not only effectively power up our own fleet, but to also generate an additional revenue stream to optimise our return on investment. What’s more, Remitrans is proud that our new charging infrastructure will also help other heavy-duty fleets electrify more effectively, and that we play an important role in building a shared EV charging network in Europe.

Learn more

Semi-public charging is just one element of our integrated EV charging network for heavy duty fleets electrification: which can offer solutions to drive down your EV fleet’s total cost of ownership (TCO) by up to 25%* as well as unlock new revenue streams and optimise charging to save as much as 30%* on energy costs. Whether you’re a fleet operator seeking to electrify your depot or a public sector partner looking to maximise infrastructure value, at SBRS, we’re ready to help you design and deliver a solution that works for you.
If you’re interested in learning more about our work with Remitrans or how a shared charging model could support your transition to electric freight, get in touch.

* The actual savings are highly dependent on the customer use case, other customer inputs such as energy prices, cost of infrastructure, and geography.