Skanska’s 90-Day Pilot Program of the Zero-Emission Volvo EC230 Electric Reduces Emissions and Costs
Skanska, a leading construction and development firm, has announced the completion of a 90-day pilot program using the Volvo EC230 electric excavator on the Purple (D Line) Extension Transit Project in Los Angeles, at the South Yard of the La Brea station. Skanska’s use of the zero-emissions equipment was among the first to pilot the Volvo excavator in North America. The goal of the trial was to test the capability of a battery-powered excavator to perform the necessary construction work, particularly in relation to its diesel-powered counterpart. The study further advances Skanska’s mission of reducing embodied carbon emissions on its jobsites and Volvo’s goal of making fossil-free machinery more accessible in the United States.
The excavator, supplied for the project by Sunbelt Rentals, was used to load trucks of export construction material from a stockpile. Results of the 90-day trial indicate that the Volvo EC230 Electric performed the necessary activities as intended while keeping the pace of work on schedule. The results noted in the initial findings indicate reduced emissions and lowered costs. The unit reduced carbon per hour by 66 percent (34 kilograms) and saved an estimated 74 percent in cost per hour ($15.15).
There were additional benefits from a health and safety aspect. The electric excavator generated much less vibration and noise than a diesel-powered version. Not only does this create a less exhaustive and better working environment for the operator, but it also results in less construction noise for the surrounding community. Favorable feedback from operators also included its ease of use and capacity.
“Skanska is proud to be a part of this pilot with Volvo which can serve as a catalyst for the evolution and adoption of lower emission construction practices,” said Mason Ford, director of sustainability and equipment services for Skanska USA Civil. “Aligned with our commitment to a cleaner future, the successful completion of this pilot program represents a significant stride forward for the entire industry. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but this type of investigation into the possibilities furthers the conversation around electrification and sustainable innovation within civil construction.”
As a leader in sustainability, Skanska has set ambitious climate targets across its global operations and aims to achieve a 70-percent carbon reduction by 2030 in its own operations and across our entire value chain.
Globally, the Volvo EC230 Electric excavator has been launched in Europe, where Skanska has utilized it recently on its Slakthusområdet project.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.