The Norwegian business development agency Enova has launched two programmes to contribute to reduced emissions in the construction industry. The aim is to support the use of emission-free construction machines and mobile charging stations for their operation.

The programmes will run for two years, as the German publication Businessportal Norwegen writes. Accordingly, the purchase of electric construction machinery is to be subsidised by up to 40 per cent of the additional costs compared to a comparable construction machine with a conventional drive. However, the subsidy is capped at five million Norwegian kroner, which currently corresponds to 438,000 euros.

The mobile charging stations (only with integrated buffer battery) are subsidised with 40 per cent of the investment costs, the upper limit, in this case, is two million kroner (about 175,000 euros). The battery must have an energy content of at least 70 kWh and the charging station itself must offer at least 100 kW of charging power.

The additional subsidy for charging stations with battery storage is very important for the use of electric construction machines. This is because, especially in the early stages of construction projects when, for example, heavy excavators and wheel loaders are used in civil engineering activities, the power supply at the construction site is often not yet well developed. Therefore, the buffer batteries can be slowly recharged by low voltage, which in turn can quickly recharge the batteries of the construction machines.