Running heavy machinery in a quarry environment is a dirty business, involving massive diesel trucks belching out exhaust fumes. But it doesn’t have to be. Volvo Construction Equipment has teamed up with Skanska to viability test its Electric Site concept. The project will run for 10 weeks at the latter’s Vikan Kross quarry, where Volvo’s electric and autonomous machinery will do their thing in a real production environment.

Never miss important industry news again – Click here to sign-up and receive the Weekly Round Up in your inbox every Saturday

Each transport stage at the test site will be electrified – “from excavation to primary crushing, and transport to secondary crushing” – though Volvo admits that a small amount of diesel will still be used at the Electric Site, which is located near Gothenburg in Sweden. Skanska’s working quarry produces materials for the construction industry, including asphalt and cement, and the test operation will run at the same level as it did before the electric heavy machinery rolled in. But it’s expected to reduce carbon emissions by up to 95 percent and, equally as important, shave 25 percent off running costs too.

Volvo CE has had to develop new concepts for the project, as well as fresh work methods and site management systems. “The total site solution we developed together with our customer Skanska is not a commercial solution for sale today and we will evaluate the outcome of the tests but we have learned so much already, elements of which will be fed into our future product development,” said Volvo CE’s Melker Jernberg.

Keep reading on NewAtlas.com

 

---

Watch our video and learn more about the benefits of joining Construction Links Network – the peer-to-peer network sharing platform for the construction, building and design community.

Press Releases | Project Updates | New Appointments | Awards & Milestones | Company News | New Products/Services | Brochures | Videos | Infographics | Blog Sharing | Events and More