Circular charging infrastructure: small steps towards a big impact

The transition to electric driving is in full swing. At the beginning of 2024, there were more than 436,000 fully electric cars on Dutch roads, and that number is growing rapidly. By 2044, there are expected to be 9 to 10 million electric cars on the road. To power them all, an estimated 4.3 million charging points will be needed. This means that millions of additional charging points will have to be added in the coming years. Some of these will be public charging stations, installed by local authorities and other government bodies. This is a major construction project, but also an opportunity. How can we ensure that all these charging points are designed to be sustainable and circular? We spoke to Amber van Veen from PIANOo. She is involved in the Buyer Group Circular Charging Infrastructure.

How do you make a charging station circular?

‘When considering sustainability and circularity, many people primarily think of the vehicles themselves. This is logical, as electric vehicles are cleaner than diesel or petrol variants. However, the impact of the charging infrastructure is often overlooked. Charging stations contain raw materials that are not inexhaustible. They are often produced using processes that harm the environment and violate human rights, and their lifespan is relatively short. When they are replaced, they often end up in landfill.

Circularity starts with smart design. Are parts easy to replace? Is the foundation reusable? Can the technology grow with future applications? And how do you avoid having to dismantle an entire installation when 80% of it is still functioning properly? As a purchaser, you need to ask these questions in advance. Because the choices you make when tendering determine the entire rest of the process.’

How significant is the impact of circular charging infrastructure?

‘We are facing a major upscaling that will enable us to make a significant impact. At the beginning of 2024, there were approximately 140,000 public charging stations in the Netherlands. According to ElaadNL, by 2050 we will need more than 1.3 million public charging stations, almost nine times as many as we have now. If we have to replace all those stations completely time and time again, that will generate millions of kilos of waste and unnecessary CO₂ emissions. It is also important that charging stations are compatible with smart grid solutions. Think of bidirectional charging, for example. The car feeds power back into the grid during peak hours and charges at night, so that EVs can draw power without overloading the grid. In this way, we support the energy transition and reduce grid congestion. By designing in a circular and flexible way, with reusable foundations, modular parts and easy-to-repair components, we prevent future demolition and waste.’

Reusable foundations, modular designs and easy-to-repair components prevent future demolition and waste.

Amber van Veen

What is the role of the Buyer Group in this?

‘Many public organisations want to engage in circular procurement, but are unsure how to proceed. The Circular Charging Infrastructure Buyer Group consists of eleven public parties, ranging from municipalities to provinces, all of which have plans to procure charging points. Some are just starting out, while others already have more experience. We pool our knowledge and questions and help each other to put circular procurement into practice.

We are working on a joint market vision, a circular procurement strategy and a tender that is both legally sound and sufficiently ambitious. At the same time, we share what we encounter in practice: where do you get stuck, what works well, what could be improved? This way, not everyone has to reinvent the wheel. And the more we are aligned towards the market, the greater the impact we can make together.’

The more we are aligned with the market, the greater the impact we can make together.

Amber van Veen

Where does the Buyer Group stand now?

‘We have been working on this for almost a year now. We are collaborating with provinces and municipalities to develop a draft version of the joint market vision for circular charging infrastructure.

This will be aligned with the roadmap being developed for circular charging infrastructure in 2050. Once the roadmap is finalised, we will present our market vision to the market to assess whether it is realistic and ambitious enough. Next year, the vision will be tested in tenders. The market vision already contains concrete agreements, for example on foundations: charging stations must fit into existing locations to avoid unnecessary concrete work. In this way, we are putting circularity into practice step by step.’

What can purchasers learn from this?

‘If you want to get started with circular procurement, here are three tips I can give you:

• Be clear. Make sure everyone is speaking the same language. Use examples, diagrams or visualisations. Make it visual where necessary and write down what you mean in a concise and clear manner. Because a tender that someone does not understand or misinterprets will result in missed opportunities.
• Choose your focus. You don’t have to do everything at once. If you look at the R ladder, start with one or two strategies that really make a difference. For example: can you choose the location of the charging station wisely based on data, so that it is used optimally and you need fewer charging stations? Or can you focus on high-quality repairs? If you start small, you will often get further than if you want to do everything perfectly at once.
• Do not do it alone. Join a network, learn from others, and share your knowledge. There is enormous power in that.’

And looking further ahead, how do you see the future?

‘The Buyer Group will run until 2027. During that time, we want to help as many public organisations as possible to adopt circular procurement practices. Not as a non-binding ambition, but in concrete terms in practice. Ultimately, we want to move towards a uniform, clear demand on the market. So that suppliers know where they stand and dare to invest in sustainable solutions. And above all, so that we as governments can contribute to a truly future-proof charging infrastructure.’

We want to move towards a uniform, clear demand in the market. So that suppliers know where they stand

Amber van Veen

Would you like to know more?

Would you like to know more about the Circular Charging Infrastructure Buyer Group? Please visit the website Circular Charging Infrastructure Buyer Group | PIANOo – Procurement Expertise Centre

Or do you have any questions about this buyer group? Please send an email to buyergroups@pianoo.nl