Centurion begins construction of autonomous electrical infrastructure to power its electric fleet

The Centurion autonomous battery electric truck infrastructure project in Perth will be used to support a fleet of 30 battery electric rigid trucks and tractor units.

The facility will be powered by off-grid energy, which the company says is part of a wider program to reduce emissions.

Centurion is installing charging equipment, an integrated infrastructure for generating and storing energy in the form of solar panels and batteries, at its Hazelmere warehouse in east Perth.

The facility is being built in partnership with Cape Dunstans, which provides materials handling, logistics and infrastructure solutions.

Centurion’s fleet of battery electric vehicles will run on off-grid, emissions-free energy.

The project was made possible by funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of its investment to accelerate Australia’s transition to renewable energy and sustainable heavy transport.

The infrastructure will be built at two depot sites: the northern site is scheduled to be completed in December 2025, and electric trucks will begin operating from January 2025. The entire project will reach full capacity by mid-2025.

Centurion CEO Justin Cardachi said the company is actively developing and executing a decarbonization strategy aimed at aligning its operations with the broader energy transition.

“We are delighted to begin work on this landmark project, which demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and innovation in the transport sector. This project is a key step into the future and would not have been possible without the expertise and collaboration of Cape Dunstance. Together, we are leading the way in delivering freight solutions powered by clean energy.”

Greg Hutchinson, CEO of Cape Dunstans, added that the company’s involvement in this project underscores their commitment to providing forward-thinking infrastructure solutions to the resources, utilities and infrastructure sectors.

Cape Dunstan is supporting the project with infrastructure works including the provision of 4.4 megawatts of rooftop solar panels, 10.32 megawatt-hour batteries and 15 dual-port slow and fast chargers.

“Taking this project from concept to completion is a testament to Cape Dunstans’ expertise and we are proud to play a key role in supporting Centurion as they begin the revolutionary shift to battery-powered, autonomous logistics,” he said. Hutchinson.