VolkerWessels Materieel & Logistiek is investing in 100% electric lifting with the world's first fully electric, battery-powered and emission-free crawler crane*. This crawler crane, developed by PVE, can operate for a full working day without having to plug into a green power supply. This week, VolkerWessels and PVE will start preparations to put the tracked crane into operation in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Besides the tracked crane, various subsidiaries of VolkerWessels have already invested in fully electric road construction machines such as asphalt spreaders and road rollers. The investments in an electric crawler crane and other electric construction machines fit the ambition of VolkerWessels to have a fully CO₂-neutral equipment fleet by 2026. This is how VolkerWessels is working towards its sustainability ambition: 100% circular. The electric crawler crane will be used nationwide on various projects.
From diesel engine to 100% electric
PVE is a specialist in the field of crawler cranes. Partly due to the demand from VolkerWessels to make the traditional diesel-driven crawler crane emission-free, PVE has developed a range of fully electrically powered crawler cranes. A 85-ton, 100-ton, 135-ton and a 160-ton zero-emission crane will be introduced to the market. VolkerWessels has chosen a 160 ton crawler crane with a 42 metre main boom and a 43 metre luffing jib. Naturally, the batteries of the crawler crane have to be charged with green electricity in order to be as sustainable as possible.
Dick van de Laar, director at VolkerWessels Materieel & Logistiek: "With this investment in 100% electric lifting, VolkerWessels, together with its partners, is taking a big step towards realising both our sustainable ambitions and those of our clients. The goal is to make the entire equipment fleet available to our clients in a CO2 neutral way by 2026."
* as far as we know, this is the world's first fully battery-powered crawler crane
Photos made by Linders photography