Did you know that you can earn money by charging electric machines using your own charging station and/or self-generated energy? And that this results in significant savings on the machine's Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)? Robert Gunsing, owner of Mobilyze , and Sijmen Staadegaard, co-owner and sustainability manager at Staad, explain how it works.
A brief explanation. Within the European Union, member states have agreed to accelerate the transition to sustainability. The Netherlands has taken up the challenge and wants more and more energy for transport to come from sustainable sources. Oil companies are legally obliged to reduce their CO2 footprint, for example by converting bioethanol into fuels. However, this does not quite bring them to their target.
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Companies that use and charge electric vehicles help to achieve that European goal. For this, they can be rewarded with EREs (Emission Reduction Units) by the Dutch Emissions Authority (NEa). And oil companies can meet their obligation by purchasing EREs from companies that supply emission-free energy from their own charging stations or energy generators such as solar panels or wind turbines. Incidentally, since January 1, 2026, EREs is the new name for what you might already know as HBEs (Renewable Fuel Units).
Sijmen: “In practice, this means that if you have an earthmoving company with electric earthmoving machines, trucks, or vans that you charge at your own charging stations, you can earn money by selling your EREs. And that lowers the TCO.” It sounds almost too good to be true. Yet, according to Robert, it is simply a matter of signing up. “And you have to keep records to obtain ERE certificates and be allowed to trade them. If you use at least 2 million kWh per year, you can log usage independently. If you use less than that, or are daunted by the extra administration involved in managing the EREs, you can use a logging service like Mobilyze.”
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Staad has been working with Mobilyze for quite some time. Sijmen: “The ERE administration isn't a full-time job, but it does require focus and specific expertise. At Staad, we prefer to focus on our core activities rather than handling extra administration. I can imagine our customers want that too.” Robert wants to convince as many companies as possible of the benefits of EREs. “Not everyone is aware that you can get paid for the (green) electricity you generate for your own machines. It is an easy way to generate some extra money and shorten the payback period of your electric earthmoving machine. It would be a shame to miss out on that!”
In addition to ERE administration, Mobilyze also builds and develops charging stations and advises companies in this area. To obtain ERE certificates, you must have a suitable charging station with a MID (Measurement Instrument Directive) certified energy meter. Furthermore, you must be the owner of the grid connection used for charging and possess the measurement data from the chargers and, potentially, from a solar or wind energy system at your own location.
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How much money are we actually talking about? Robert: “If you generate your own electricity, you get a higher return. The price fluctuates. At the moment, you get one ERE for 1.5 kWh of self-generated electricity. For electricity from the grid, that is one ERE for 3 kWh. And right now, an ERE is worth about 45 euro cents.” So, the sale of EREs brings in some money.
The electric Staad machines use Powerboxes that are approved to generate EREs. Because the Powerbox is considered part of the vehicle, it also earns EREs. Sijmen: “With an electric earthmoving machine and a Powerbox, you have recouped your registration and start-up costs after just 200 days. At the end of the quarter or year, you generate a printout of the number of EREs created and then trade them with the oil companies. Or you have this done by a booking service.”
At Staad, the customer is king. Sijmen: “We always try to inform our customers as well as possible so that they can make the most of market opportunities. Recently, during a Cumela meeting, I spoke with several people who had solar panels about EREs. During the conversation, I saw interest growing. It is truly lucrative. It requires some effort at first, but if you set it up properly, you reap the rewards very quickly.” Staad also points its customers to municipal subsidies. “In July, another 120 million euros will become available in SPUK-SEB subsidies (Specific Grant for Clean and Emission-Free Construction). Those who qualify receive a daily allowance of up to €660 per day for the use of a large electric excavator.” In addition, Staad assists its customers with subsidy applications for the purchase of electric excavators. “That does not yield us any direct financial gain, but ultimately we hope to retain customers this way and be able to sell more machines. After all, the majority of construction work in the Netherlands is carried out by small companies with an average of 20 machines. That is our main target group. And they make the Netherlands!”
This article was published in Grondwerk magazine, Spring 2026 edition. Would you like to receive this beautiful magazine as well? Then click here.
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