By Niels Landbo Krogh, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

A new research project at Aalborg University (AAU) aims to address the upcoming shortage of fast, high-capacity chargers.

The project, HDPower – Heavy Duty Power Electronics for Electrification of Society, based at AAU ENERGY and supported by Innovation Fund Denmark, will develop and demonstrate a new type of charging station with a capacity of up to three megawatts – enough to charge an electric truck in under half an hour. The first one-megawatt prototype is expected to be ready by summer 2026.

“Our role in HDPower is to deliver the technological core. We’re developing components that can handle extremely high power levels – and that are robust enough to be used in both transport and energy production,” says Stig Munk-Nielsen, Professor at AAU ENERGY.

Strong Consortium with Research and Industry Expertise

One of the project partners is Norlys, which highlights the growing need and the researchers’ leading position in the field as reasons for joining:

“The transition of heavy transport requires innovative solutions,” says Ellen Trolle, Director of Charging Infrastructure at Norlys.

“HDPower’s use of new combinations of semiconductor chips, novel components, and know-how enables the development of charging infrastructure with higher power, better stability, and reduced material usage. That’s extremely interesting for a charging operator like Norlys, and we’re proud to help develop the high-capacity chargers of the future.”

The full HDPower consortium consists of:

- Norlys, contributing ownership and operational experience from charging infrastructure.

- APG (Aalborg Power Group), developing and delivering the charging electronics and system solutions.

- AAU ENERGY (Aalborg University), responsible for developing power components and charging electronics, as well as conducting testing.

Technological Breakthrough with Global Potential

APG, a company rooted on the Aalborg campus, sees clear potential for exporting to other European countries in need of ultra-fast chargers for the large batteries in electric trucks.

“We’re on the verge of a commercial breakthrough. First, we’ll roll out the charging infrastructure in Denmark together with Norlys, then continue deployment across Europe. We’ve assembled a strong team with a good mix of commercial and academic expertise,” says Morten Lindblad, Co-founder and investor in APG.

The HDPower project aims to establish Danish production of charging stations, which could create jobs and export opportunities.

With the investment from Innovation Fund Denmark, the technology can be developed and tested at full scale – with the first charging planned to take place at Port of Aalborg in 2026. After that, the focus will shift to business development and product refinement.

Contacts

Aalborg University

• Professor Stig Munk-Nielsen, tel. +45 2291 5029, smn@energy.aau.dk
• Press Officer Simon Danneskiold-Samsøe, tel. +45 3115 7533

Norlys

• Head of press, Michelle Hald, tel. +45 7210 8354

Innovation Fund Denmark

• Communications Officer Line Præstekjær Skouboe, tel. +45 6190 5039