On 16-17 September at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, MegaTrans 2026 will explore how electrification, battery infrastructure and renewable energy integration are reshaping the future of Australia’s freight sector.
As Australia’s freight and logistics sector faces mounting pressure to decarbonise, the MegaTrans conference comes at a fitting time.
This September, industry stakeholders from across the logistics and supply chain will gather in Melbourne to showcase and discuss cutting-edge solutions at the forefront of supply chain sustainability – the key to a resilient freight network.
Among the speakers at the conference will be Ben Hutt, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Janus Electric, who will present during the ‘Powering the Supply Chain’ session scheduled for 16 September.
“Freight is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, but it’s also one of the biggest opportunities for Australia’s energy transition,” Hutt says.
For renewable energy stakeholders, the session provides insight into the growing convergence between clean electricity generation and Australia’s transport sector, particularly as heavy freight continues to be one of the country’s more difficult emissions challenges, with freight volumes projected to grow by 26 per cent over the next 30 years.
Founded in 2019, Janus Electric specialises in converting existing diesel-powered heavy vehicles into electric trucks through a patented swappable battery platform and associated charging infrastructure. Rather than requiring operators to replace entire fleets with new electric vehicles, the company retrofits existing trucks with electric drivetrains designed to operate within a battery exchange ecosystem.
Janus Electric’s model aims to address one of the freight industry’s largest operational barriers to electrification: Downtime.
Using the company’s ‘charge and change’ infrastructure, batteries can be exchanged within minutes, allowing freight operators to maintain vehicle utilisation rates while reducing reliance on diesel fuel.
“Operators want solutions that keep trucks moving while lowering emissions, and that’s exactly where battery swapping and electrification infrastructure can play a major role,” Hutt says.
For the renewable energy industry, the significance extends beyond transport alone.
As battery charging infrastructure expands, freight electrification is expected to become increasingly linked with renewable energy generation, grid management and energy storage deployment. Electrified freight fleets are also emerging as a potential source of flexible electricity demand capable of supporting better utilisation of renewable energy generation across the grid.
Hutt brings more than two decades of experience across energy, technology and capital markets to the discussion. Prior to joining Janus Electric, he served as Chief Executive Officer of energy software platform Evergen, helping scale the business from startup to acquisition.
Hutt shares that MegaTrans 2026 provides an important platform to discuss how the freight sector can transition toward lower-emissions transport without compromising operational performance.
“Freight operators are looking for solutions that are practical, scalable and commercially viable today, not sometime in the future,” he says.
“MegaTrans brings together the industries that will collectively shape the future of transport infrastructure, energy and logistics, so it’s an important opportunity to have real conversations about what electrification looks like on the ground.”
That broader energy transition is anticipated to be one of key themes addressed during the MegaTrans conference program in Melbourne.
A dedicated session titled ‘Beyond Diesel: The Best Way Forward’ will feature Andrew Newman, Director of Policy and Strategy at Freight Victoria, and Heather Bone, Director of Sustainability at Team Global Express. In this session, the presenters will examine practical pathways for reducing transport emissions across the freight sector.
Automation and digital transformation will also feature in the program, with sessions exploring how ports, distribution centres and logistics operators are adapting to rising freight volumes, labour shortages and evolving customer expectations. Among the confirmed speakers for this portion are: Hermione Parsons, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director – Australian Logistics Council, Steven Ballerini, Chief Executive Officer – Australasian Supply Chain and Logistics Association, Tony Mellick, Chief Executive Officer – Hi-Trans Express.
Free event registrations are currently open. For more information, visit the MegaTrans website.
This article was featured in ecogeneration magazine (June 2026 edition).
