Contact
PRODUCTSSOLUTIONSTRENDSCareersCOMPANYCUSTOMER SERVICEDOWNLOADSCatalogs

Customer application 14 November 2023
HAJ: Hit the Ground Running in a Fully Charged E-Vehicle

Expansion of Charging Infrastructure at Hanover Airport Boosts E-Mobility

The capital of Lower Saxony, Hanover, is making the switch to e-mobility easy. It has a top spot among major German cities in expanding public charging infrastructure.

A strategy paper adopted by the city in 2018 provided the impetus. With the local energy service provider, enercity AG, Hanover has been implementing ambitious plans for climate-friendly mobility. The first goal was reached in 2022 – however, expansion continues. And not just in the inner city area.

Predictable Parking Times

Since the beginning of the year, enercity has been building publicly accessible charging infrastructure at Hanover Airport. “HAJ” is the airport code for Germany’s eighth-largest airport. Around four million passengers passed through the airport this past year. Business travelers are among the many who start their journey here. “And aside from those taking brief vacations, business passengers are our core target with the first expansion step,” says Constantin Reese, Head of Technology for Electric Mobility at enercity. The reason? The user profile is clearly defined: these customer groups are usually traveling for a short period of time. They often park close to the terminal for an average of only one to two days. This time is then available for EV charging. . “This makes planning easier,” explains Reese when discussing the total power required for charging. “At the airport, this can be designed as a below-market rate, based on the predictable, longer parking times, compared with other publicly accessible charging stations.”

Dynamic Load Management

The first construction phase at Hanover Airport included 16 AC charging stations with two charging points each. In order to sensibly distribute the available capacities among the individual charging points, enercity relies on dynamic load management from WAGO. WAGO's Compact Controller 100 is at the core and incorporates dynamic load management as a Docker Container. As a Linux-based controller, this device supports diverse programming languages – just like the rest of the WAGO PFC family – making it ideal for applications like a gradually growing charging park.

Open Communication Concept

In addition to the controller, WAGO provides additional hardware and support for the airport’s charging park. Undoutedly, this project has proven quite unique even for the electrical engineering professionals at WAGO. “enercity had previously worked with a proprietary charging management system,” reports Nils Roth, Senior Area Sales Manager for Industry at WAGO. The energy supplier has extensive experience in building charging infrastructure in Lower Saxony and brought much of its expertise to the project. The WAGO system, whose open communication is suitable for versatile connection options, not only satisfies the most current technical requirements, it also offers future-proof expansion options. For this flagship project at the airport, they pulled out all the stops to plan a custom solution – a win-win for both companies.

MM-428829_new_website-page_enercity_walm_nils-roth_2000x2000.jpg
In addition, reliability of the supply must be ensured, and the network must remain stable. Load management that runs smoothly and complies with all aspects of cybersecurity is extremely important here.
Nils Roth
<p>Senior Area Sales Manager Industry at WAGO</p>

Check-In for the Charging Park

The version of the WAGO Application Load Management installed at the airport is branded as an enercity exclusive. Although carrying the enercity look and logo, proven WAGO components provide the functionality. These were commissioned with WAGO support over a few weeks. However, that which sounds easy must be well prepared. “The initial commissioning of a charging park takes some time, depending on its size,” Roth says in describing the process. “When integrating a charging station, we check for proper communication. If something doesn’t match the manufacturer’s data, we need to clarify it. As soon as everything is operational, we can run through the charging cycle live with an e-vehicle. At this point, errors that occur during the charging process can still be resolved in a relaxed manner.” As soon as a first charging point is successfully integrated, the rest can typically also be integrated via copy and paste.

Safety Even Before Launch

Special security aspects must be considered, especially in critical infrastructure, such as at an airport. “In addition, reliability of the supply must be ensured, and the network must remain stable. Load management that runs smoothly and complies with all aspects of cybersecurity is extremely important here – also with a view toward further expansion.”

A total of 72 charging points are planned at Hanover Airport. Of these, 64 AC charging points will be distributed across two parking garages near the terminals. There will also be eight fast charging points outside with charging capacities up to 200 and 400 kW. The energy required for several hundred kilometers of travel can be charged up within a quarter of an hour. “Anyone can use this. When dropping off or picking up passengers, for personal, business or taxi use.” It all has to function – and do so smoothly and seamlessly. Park in a free space, plug in the car, fly away, come back and drive with a charged vehicle – perhaps into the Hanover city center, the capital of e-mobility.