Volvo Construction Equipment and its customer Skanska have recorded groundbreaking results from their Electric Site research project – including a 98% reduction in carbon emissions, a 70% reduction in energy cost and a 40% reduction in operator cost.
Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) and its customer Skanska have been testing the viability of the Electric Site research project over the last 10 weeks at Skanska’s Vikan Kross quarry, near Gothenburg, Sweden. The results are now in and they are even better than expected. The tests showed a 98% reduction in carbon emissions, a 70% reduction in energy cost and a 40% reduction in operator cost. The results also indicate that the Electric Site project takes a big step towards helping #Volvo CE achieve its future vision where work sites are ten times more efficient, with zero accidents, zero unplanned stops and zero emissions. Together, these results support the potential for a 25% reduction in total cost of operations. However, at this stage, the reduction in total cost of operations is just a prediction. As the prototype machines are part of a research project and are not commercially available, it is impossible to give a guaranteed figure. “Over the last ten weeks, we’ve made incredible progress, learnt a lot and seen huge potential in the Electric Site solution’s environmental, efficiency, safety and cost benefits,” says #uwemuller, Chief Project Manager for the Electric Site at #Volvo CE. “In fact, we have decided that we want to learn more, so we will extend our test period with Skanska until the end of the year. The results we have seen so far confirm that this research project is a step towards transforming the quarry and aggregates industry and creating emission-free quarries.”The Electric Site project aims to electrify each transport stage in a quarry – from excavation to primary crushing, and transport to secondary crushing. It incorporates electric and autonomous prototype #Volvo CE machines, new work methods, and site management systems, which together form a complete site solution. New technology encompasses machine and fleet control systems and logistic solutions for electric machines in quarries. “With climate change reshaping our industry, we need to find new, sustainable solutions and build partnerships with organizations that have different competencies,” says #andersdanielsson, President and CEO of Skanska. “Our ambition is that this collaboration with #Volvo CE will help us and our customers to reduce our carbon footprint. The power of partnership will make it happen.”“At #Volvo CE, we believe in a sustainable future and we are doing our best to build the world we want to live in,” concludes Melker Jernberg, President of #Volvo CE. “The Electric Site is one example of how we are trying to achieve this. With this research project we are combining intelligent machines, automation and electromobility to challenge traditional ways of working in the quarrying industry and explore new alternatives. We will now further mature the technologies involved and the reliability of the concept. Developing, testing and validating prototype machines with a customer at an early stage in the process speeds up development and ultimately brings more value to us and our customers.”
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