Centurion’s Perth Airport depot operates two charging sites, named North and South. The North charging site was commissioned back in February and the South charging site is now live from this week, adding a further 10 Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 Battery Electric Trucks to service the Perth metropolitan area. This brings the Hazelmere fleet to 30 electric trucks, all fuelled by onsite green energy supply. South site energy infrastructure includes 2.2MW of rooftop solar, 3.44MWh of battery storage, 75kW and 150kW chargers, and a back-up generator operating on HVO. The project has been developed in partnership with ARENA under the Driving the Nation Program.

Total project specifications include:

• 30 eActros 300 battery electric trucks – 25 rigid trucks and 5 prime movers

• 4.4MW of rooftop solar

• 10.3MWh of battery storage

• 15 dual-port slow and fast chargers

• Fully off-grid charging infrastructure

• Backup generation using HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil)

“The project is now fully operational, and it marks a significant milestone in progressing our decarbonisation journey,” said Justin Cardaci, CEO of Centurion. “Completing this important infrastructure milestone and having the full electric truck fleet operational is a great outcome for Centurion. It shows that with the right partnerships and investment, sustainable freight solutions are achievable today. We’re not only reducing emissions but also providing electric trucks fuelled by green energy that can deliver a high-quality reliable service for our customers.”

The $36 million project was delivered in partnership with Daimler Truck, Cape Dunstans, Switch Batteries and bp Australia, and made possible through $15.8 million in funding from ARENA. This project demonstrates how industry collaboration, renewable energy, and innovation can drive meaningful change in Australia’s transport and logistics sector, reducing emissions while maintaining operational performance.

The next step for the project is to optimise the integration of the green energy and electric truck fleet into Centurion’s wider operations at the Perth Airport depot. This project will generate significant learnings, and Centurion in conjunction with ARENA will be seeking to share this knowledge across the industry.

END

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Throughout most of the year with the constant sunshine in Perth, the solar panels supply the BESS with all the energy required to charge the BEV fleet. The solar arrays have been sized to accommodate majority of weather conditions experienced through the seasons.

To ensure reliability for any particularly bad weather periods during the winter, backup generation is in place. CEA (Construction Equipment Australia) has supplied Atlas Copco generators the project and these operate on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) — a renewable, advanced biofuel derived from waste oils and fats. HVO provides a ~90% reduction in emissions compared to conventional diesel, making it a significantly lower emission alternative.

Our backup generators provide the project with energy security when solar generation to charge the BESS is limited due to prolonged poor weather. It ensures uninterrupted charging capability while keeping emissions to a minimum.

This approach allows us to maintain fully off-grid system powering towards our sustainability objectives.

Link to previous article: https://centurion.net.au/centurions-first-battery-electric-vehicles-hit-the-road/

About Centurion: Centurion is a leading logistics provider in Australia, with a national footprint and a diverse fleet that supports industries from mining to retail. Known for its innovative solutions, Centurion remains committed to sustainability, continually improving the environmental and operational efficiency of its operations.

About CEA: CEA is the leading distributor for capital equipment brands JCB agricultural and construction equipment, Atlas Copco, Ditch Witch, and Dynapac. Supplying a diverse range of equipment to a wide variety of industries CEA actively supports customers in the construction, agriculture, government, infrastructure, defence, waste management, mining, civil works, utility maintenance, and recycling sectors.

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