Megawatt charging on the test bench

03.06.2025

Source: E & M powernews

Charging solutions for batteries for trucks, buses, construction vehicles, even ships and storage systems are to be tested in a dedicated test center in the south of Hamburg in the future.

The image attached to the press release is still AI-generated. However, the first phase of the "test center of superlatives" planned by energy giant Shell in the south of Hamburg is set to go into operation at the end of 2025. Construction is due to be completed by 2027.

"Fast and efficient charging for e-drives is immensely important in the transportation sector, because time is money, especially in this industry," says Felix Faber, CEO of Shell in Germany, explaining the idea behind the project. "This is exactly where we come in with our test center for megawatt charging. Here, solutions can continue to mature, industry partners can come together and, together with us, make a contribution to the electrification and thus decarbonization of the entire sector."

The test center, which is to be built in the "Shell Technology Centre Hamburg", is designed for charging capacities of up to 5 MW in the medium-voltage range and will test, for example, fast charging of batteries for heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks, buses, tractors and construction vehicles or for ships with electric drives as well as battery storage systems under various climatic conditions (-40 to +50 degrees Celsius with variable humidity). In addition to an office and electrical installation building, an external test field, a test hangar and a workshop area are to be built on 3,500 square meters. A further 500 square meters are planned as an expansion reserve.

The plan is to install a switchgear with 10 kV AC and 3.6 kV DC (medium voltage) as well as a bi-directional DC emulator with up to 5.2 MW (3.6 kV), which will also enable simultaneous test operation with six times 800 kW (1,000 V). Energy and power management, automated back-office acceptance tests, interoperability and efficiency tests under variable climate conditions, automated battery tests up to hazard level 6 and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations will also be possible so that the interaction of hardware and software components can be tested. The energy supply is provided by electricity from renewable sources, according to Shell.

Author: Katia Meyer-Tien