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Pilot Project Charging in Rural Areas: E-Bus Station in Bensheim

A new charging infrastructure with flywheel energy storage is intended to facilitate the switch to electric buses across wider areas without expanding the power grids. A corresponding pilot project is currently underway in Bensheim an der Bergstraße.

The new charging infrastructure with flywheel energy storage could accelerate the mobility transition even in rural areas. (Photo: Adaptive Balancing Power)
The new charging infrastructure with flywheel energy storage could accelerate the mobility transition even in rural areas. (Photo: Adaptive Balancing Power)
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von Martina Weyh

€2.3 million in funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is being invested in the so-called Buffered-HLL project. This project aims to facilitate the transition to electric buses in rural areas by building a new charging infrastructure with high-performance flywheel storage. The key feature of this innovative storage and charging technology is that e-buses can be charged on the route without the expansion of the power grid.

Together with a consortium from research and industry, the storage and charging technology specialist Adaptive Balancing Power from Darmstadt is responsible for the project. The company is currently installing a new fast-charging station (High Power Charger) with flywheel storage at the bus terminal (ZOB) in Bensheim an der Bergstraße, which, according to the company, ensures secure, economical, and flexible intermediate charging for electric buses.

How it works

The core of the charging and storage technology is a flywheel storage system developed by Adaptive Balancing Power, which is magnetically mounted in a high vacuum. According to the manufacturer, this system accumulates energy from the power grid at the available capacity of the respective location and provides it for a rapidly shortened charging process with up to six times the power.

Sustainability

According to Adaptive Balancing Power, the components used are proven, readily available, high-quality parts from European and German mechanical engineering. The storage system is low-maintenance, very sustainably manufactured, and almost fully recyclable.

Test phase from September

The special charging infrastructure is scheduled to go into operation in September. The test phase in regular driving operation is set to last 18 months and is expected to be transferred to other regions upon successful completion. The bus operation will be managed by Verkehrsgesellschaft Gersprenztal mbH (VGG), based in Reichelsheim (Odw.) and Bensheim. VGG is a medium-sized company that operates an extensive network of routes with about 180 employees and 90 buses in the districts of Bergstraße, Odenwald, and Darmstadt-Dieburg.

Background

In rural areas, electrification along the route poses significant challenges for power grid operators and transport companies. Long driving distances and times mean that intercity buses need large batteries that can weigh up to five tons, which questions the economic and ecological operation. One way to avoid ever-larger and heavier batteries is route charging, where the battery is recharged at stops with a high-energy input within a short period. Until now, this required pantograph charging stations connected to lines with very high electrical flows (medium voltage network). However, such lines are scarce in rural areas or are very costly.

Translated automatically from German.
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