The electrification of big machinery has long been a challenge. Will an electric motor deliver the superior power needed to operate heavy equipment?  In 2020, Van Oord commissioned the Netherlands’ first all-electric 20-tonne excavator and more recently its first hybrid bulldozer. The success of these machines has led Van Oord to invest in 4 electric excavators, 2 electric wheeled loaders and 8 battery packs to power the electrical equipment on site. The contracts with Pon Cat and Staad for the delivery of the machines have been signed.

Van Oord is constantly looking for innovative solutions that enable it to work sustainably. The partnership between Van Oord and Pon Cat marks the next stage in the electrification of heavy earthmoving operations. The new 35.5-tonne electric excavators are an entirely new model not yet available anywhere. The new CAT330 LRE Zline excavators are equipped with 422 kW net battery capacity.

The new DL280-7 wheeled loaders are supplied by Staad, have a weight of about 16 tonnes and feature a bucket that can hold 2.8 cubic metres of material. They are equipped with a fixed 400 kW battery. The 8 battery packs on order will ensure that the electric equipment can be powered during deployment on site.

Thanks to these investments, Van Oord is taking electrification of the construction site to the next level and reducing CO2 and NOx emissions during project execution. The investment represents more progress towards meeting Van Oord’s sustainability target and contributes to Rijkswaterstaat’s Zero Emission Construction Site 2030 programme.

The new equipment will be managed by Van Oord Grondstoffen. This Van Oord subsidiary is responsible for all activities related to earthmoving in the Netherlands and manages all dry earthmoving equipment.