CENTURION will receive funding from the federal Australian Renewable Energy Agency to roll out 30 battery electric trucks and 15 dual port chargers to cut emissions from its depot in Hazelmere.
An Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) statement said it was supporting the industrial freight provider with $15.8 million to unlock investment in accelerating the shift to electric vehicles in Western Australia through the Australian Government’s driving the nation program.
In a separate statement Centurion said it would amass and operate Australia’s first 100 per cent renewable energy off grid battery electric truck fleet in a program, backed by some funding from the agency’s future fuels program.
Centurion said the $29 million project planned to integrate the battery electric trucks into Centurion’s existing fleet, powered by solar generation and off-grid battery energy storage by the end of 2024.
Once ready, the 30 Mercedes-Benz eActros electric trucks will service the wider Perth metropolitan area, supported by four megawatts of rooftop solar, 10 megawatt hours of battery, and 15 dual port slow and fast chargers.
Centurion chief executive officer Justin Cardaci said the project represented a significant step in Centurion’s decarbonisation journey and continued their work towards an operational future with net zero emissions.
“Centurion actively seeks to deploy technology where it’s ready to displace the diesel transport equivalent and the ARENA funding certainly helps support the project’s economics,’’ he said.
Centurion is a national operator serving the resource hubs and remote communities of Australia.
“For most of our operations, the zero emissions heavy transport technology won’t be ready for several years.
“However, battery electric trucks are now ready for operations across the wider metropolitan area and it’s great that Centurion has the capacity to bring this technology into our fleet.
“Operating a real zero emissions truck fleet from off grid solar and battery is a significant step in supporting the energy transition."
