Tarmac’s electric bond coat sprayer was used for the first time on the A120 in Essex and is set to service the area surrounding the M25.
It was supplied by highways equipment specialist DE Plant, which collaborated with truck maker Volvo and Schäfer-technic to develop an all-electric sprayer. They claim carbon savings of 1.12kg CO2e per kilometre.
As part of the project, CRH subsidiary Tarmac has also worked with BituChem to develop a product to replace traditional bitumen. In the absence of a diesel generator to keep the bitumen warm and ready for spraying, they created Bondcoat Duo to be used as a cool product, meaning that the vehicle battery’s energy can be conserved as there is no requirement for hot material on site.
Tarmac says it has the potential to offer carbon savings even if used by conventional diesel-powered bond coat sprayers as there is no need to use diesel to heat the product for use.
National Highways has approved the use of Bondcoat Duo on the strategic road network.
The electric bond coat sprayer has a 200kw battery pack. It has a range of less than 100 miles per charge but can be fully charged in two or four hours, depending on the charge connection.
Tarmac framework delivery manager Phil Greenin said: “Tarmac has ambitious sustainability goals to be at the forefront of implementing low CO2 transport and logistics solutions across the highways and construction industries. Playing a part in the delivery of the world’s first electric bond coat sprayer has been incredibly exciting for the team, and further demonstrates our commitment to supporting the delivery of net zero targets.”
Scott Emmett, founder and chief executive of Thriplow Group, added: “Being the world’s first all-electric bond coat sprayer demonstrates how a collaborative approach can really work to change the operation when others said it couldn't be done.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
