A fleet of all-electric construction machines from Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Trucks has delivered a landmark project in sustainable urban development, powering the world’s first fully electric deconstruction site in Erlangen, Germany, in collaboration with technology company Siemens and Metzner Recycling.
Siemens' new €500 million, 200,000 sqm Technology Campus is designed to be zero-emission, adhering to the highest sustainability standards. But an emission-free site clearance was not part of the original scope. Instead, it came about through collaboration between Volvo and Metzner, and was enthusiastically received by Siemens.
According to Volvo, the project marks the first full-scale electric deconstruction of its kind and serves as an important proof of concept that demolition can be carried out more sustainably, without relying on fossil fuels.
The electric machine fleet included:
- Volvo ECR18 Electric compact excavator with hydraulic breaker, operating inside the buildings performing precise break-up and demolition of concrete and masonry
- Volvo L20 Electric wheeled loader transporting the extracted materials from inside the buildings for processing
- Volvo EW240 MH Electric grid-connected material handler for exterior deconstruction and handling
- Volvo EC230 Electric crawler excavator for deconstruction, concrete cutting and crusher feeding
- Volvo L120 Electric wheel loader for transporting materials to and from the electric crusher.
Demolition specialist Metzner Recycling used machines to bring down three buildings, sorting and processing 12,800 tonnes of construction waste, of which 96% was recycled into raw materials for future use.
Indoors, the compact excavator and wheeled loader operated safely and quietly – supported by a Husqvarna DXR145/DXR305 demolition robot – eliminating emissions and the need for air filtration systems and speeding up demolition tasks. Outside, bigger electric machines dismantled, crushed and loaded materials directly into a Kleemann electric crusher and screening plant, with a Volvo FM Electric hook lift and a Volvo FH Electric semi tractor from Volvo Trucks transporting materials off-site.
Power for the site was provided by a custom on-site transformer, which provided a direct connection to the grid and access to certified renewable electricity. This allowed multiple machines to be fast-charged simultaneously, while ensuring a continuous energy supply for the grid-connected equipment. grid-connected material handler for exterior deconstruction and handling.
Operating on an active campus – with nearby offices still in use – the low-noise performance of the electric machines proved a major advantage, minimising disruption while maintaining productivity.
Michael Metzner, owner of Metzner Recycling, said: “The fact that we have now taken the first major step towards an all-electric, low emission dismantling site as a technical standard is a huge success for us – the Metzner team – and our clients. I get goosebumps when I think about what these machines make possible. Electric equipment could unlock urban projects currently held back by noise and pollution concerns. In fact, we’ve already introduced electric wheel loaders at some of our other sites.”
