On 29 June, stakeholders from the construction equipment sector gathered for the 3rd Sustainable Equipment Forum, an event dedicated to environmental transition in equipment. For this third forum, equipment manufacturers, rental firms, construction and civil engineering companies, and professional bodies, studied the CO2 emissions from alternative equipment and total associated costs throughout its life cycle. To move toward decarbonising the sector, energy mix projections by equipment category were proposed. Stakeholders increasingly wish to work hand in hand with professional bodies (FNTP, FFB, SEIMAT, Evolis and DLR) to develop institutional tools to accelerate transformation in the sector.
Electric equipment: an accelerating alternative
At the first Forum, sustainable equipment professionals identified the need to establish a way of evaluating the economic and technological challenges of their transition.
Last March, consulting firm Arthur D. Little was appointed to analyse the energy mix of construction equipment until 2030. With regard to the many criteria, the study highlights the lead established by electric engines over other alternative engine types. Electric equipment, which offers a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions, is an essential lever for decarbonising the sector.
At the current rate of the overall trajectory, 42% of light equipment could be using electric engines by 2030, but the study shows that with a proactive policy, we could reach 73%.
The main technical limitations on electrifying equipment still reside in the on-site supply infrastructure, the equipment’s range/capacity, and its cost – up to twice as expensive to buy as the thermal equivalent.
Looking ahead to 2030: a low-carbon energy mix for high performance
The energy mix projections for all equipment types combine four solutions. The gradual slowdown in thermal engines (RNG or biofuel) should be confirmed for all equipment categories by 2030. For light earth-moving machinery (under 10 tonnes) and exterior buckets, the reduction in thermal engines would be in favour of total (battery) electrification or hybrid solutions. For heavy earth-moving machinery (over 10 tonnes) and generators, the prospects in terms of energy mix remain more difficult to define and highly contingent upon developments in electric and hydrogen technologies.
Long-term prospects for hydrogen
Now considered a future solution and supported by a policy of government incentives, hydrogen offers genuine alternative prospects for machinery that requires high power or a long usage period with fewer space constraints. Two technologies are emerging from the initial experiments. Fuel cells and hydrogen fuel engines are currently less mature, and there are question marks over on-site supply infrastructure and even the availability of the resource itself.
Supporting the sector to accelerate massive adoption of this equipment
The year’s work done on behalf of sustainable equipment professionals highlights that the sector currently possesses solutions to accelerate its decarbonisation. Manufacturers, renters and construction companies will continue this planning, coordination and synchronisation effort hand in hand with their professional bodies. A first meeting is already scheduled for July to work on a carbon-reduction roadmap for construction machinery.
“Our sector is at a key point in its transition. We have already made a significant effort in reinventing the way we work together. The situation is clear: we are aware of the technical solutions for accelerating our transition and reducing site CO2 emissions, but we also know that we will be unable to rise to this challenge without strong coordination between our federations, the different stakeholders in our sector and public authorities. Our situation is similar to that facing Plateforme Automobile, whom we have welcomed at our Forums. Supported by the regulator and a purchase incentive scheme, the automotive industry is on the way to achieving its goal. We have good reason to find this parallel inspiring and very encouraging.”
Executive Chairman, Kiloutou Group
The next Sustainable Equipment Forum will take place on 1 February, 2023.