Shell N.V.’s Belgian business (“Shell”) has formed a partnership with Redevco, one of Europe’s largest privately-owned real estate managers with a focus on dynamic urban locations, to install 330 twin charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs). The alliance between the two companies comes in response to the fast-growing demand for EV charging stations.
Together the partners plan to place the Shell Recharge points at 58 of Redevco’s retail parks across Belgium by the end of 2024, providing a convenient service for customers to recharge their vehicles while shopping. Following this expansion, Shell will offer a total of 435 EV charging stations across the country as part of its goal to have 500,000 public EV charge station in operation worldwide by 2025.
The new Shell Recharge stations will create a total of 660 EV charge points at Redevco’s retail parks, which include hyper- and supermarkets, DIY and electrical appliance stores, car centres, restaurants, and various service providers. This type of partnership is hugely important for both Shell and Redevco as part of their efforts to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources and lead the development of the EV charging infrastructure throughout Belgium. Redevco focuses on creating sustainable and liveable urban environments and its partnership with Shell will help play a key role in greening its retail parks across the country.
“Improving the sustainability of the properties we manage has been one of our top priorities for quite some time now. In 2019, we launched our Mission 2040 with a view to making our entire portfolio carbon neutral by 2040”, says Filip de Bois, Portfolio Director Redevco Belgium. “Last year we also launched Project Solar as part of that initiative, to install solar panels on the roofs of the carparks at the retail parks Redevco manages in Belgium and increase the production of clean energy on-site. We are also keen to see how we make the services we offer on-site as ‘green’ as possible; for example, through the installation of EV charging stations for our visitors. Given our ties with Shell and their existing presence at our retail parks, they are a preferred partner for our efforts towards the clean energy transition.”
Quick and easy EV recharging
The number of privately- and company-owned electric cars on Belgian roads continues to grow and the demand for electric vehicles and EV charging stations is expected to increase in the coming years, now that the federal government plans to ban new company-owned cars that are not fully electric by 2026.
One of the biggest obstacles to further growth the European fleet of electric cars is the huge shortage of quick and easy recharging facilities, according to the European federation of car manufacturers Acrea. Consumers hence need to know that there are sufficient EV charging stations in their neighbourhoods and that they are also quick and convenient to use.
Shell and Redevco will offer a total of 330 twin EV charging stations with a capacity from 22 to 150 kilowatt at various locations around Belgium, in line with their goal to meet growing demand and helping make it more attractive to buy an electric vehicle. Motorists will be able to make use of the charging facilities quickly and easily, while shopping.
