Volvo Construction Equipment and Hitachi Energy have agreed to partner on developing “zero-emission construction sites.”
The partnership involves combining electric construction equipment with on-site power supply, which is one of the biggest challenges of battery-powered machinery, especially in remote areas.
The overall goal is to reduce the construction industry’s carbon emissions by combining Volvo’s expertise in electric construction equipment with Hitachi’s expertise in power systems, energy management and system integration.
The companies say they first plan to focus on “practical, plug-and-play approaches” that help contractors transition to electric jobsites. The partners will also seek to “explore more advanced capabilities such as connected machines, digital integration and expanded service offerings.”
Both companies say the success of zero-emission construction sites will depend upon developing power-supply and energy-management systems that can be integrated on-site for charging battery-powered machines.
“As construction operations become more electric and more complex, success depends less on individual technologies and more on system‑level integration, strong execution and close collaboration with partners like Volvo CE who share our ambition to enable zero‑emission construction at scale,” says Niklas Persson, Hitachi Energy CEO of grid integration.
The companies say they will work together to bring solutions to market, as well as aftermarket products and customer support.
“Strategic partnerships such as this with Hitachi Energy are key to accelerating the transition to zero-emission construction,” says Volvo CE President Melker Jernberg. “By combining complementary expertise and delivering a complete, integrated solution, we are giving customers the confidence, security and peace of mind they need to adopt emission-free operations today.”
