Genk (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Limburg.net launched its 1st electric garbage truck in Genk, aiming for a fully electric fleet by 2030. Spokesperson Raf Coenen says it cuts emissions, noise, and uses Beringen’s waste energy.
As VRT News reported, Limburg.net, the public waste company for Limburg and Diest, has put its 1st electric garbage truck into daily service in Genk. A 2nd truck is waiting at the depot in Beringen. The launch is part of a plan to renew the entire vehicle fleet.
Spokesperson Raf Coenen said the change to electric power is logical and timely. The company wants all garbage trucks to be electric by 2030. The step is expected to lower harmful emissions and reduce noise in residential areas.
What does Limburg.net’s first electric garbage truck in Genk mean for a full green fleet by 2030?
The company can also charge the trucks with energy from its own processing site in Beringen. Limburg.net has started a test phase with its 1st electric garbage truck. The company will run the vehicle on short routes and on longer trips to study its performance.
The trials will also include collections in small villages and in larger towns. By testing in different locations, Limburg.net wants to know how the truck works under changing road and traffic conditions before more vehicles are added to the fleet.
“This way, we can map out the advantages and potential disadvantages and determine what we need to consider in the future,”
Coenen explains.
The 1st rounds are planned in Hasselt and Genk, where noise from regular garbage trucks often causes complaints. The electric truck makes much less noise than diesel models and will bring quieter collections in busy neighbourhoods.
Limburg.net, founded in 2005 after the merger of waste services in Limburg and Diest, has been working for years on greener operations and energy recovery at its Beringen site. In recent years, the company invested in circular energy systems to power facilities with waste-derived electricity.
