Royal BAM Group’s Dutch civil engineering company, BAM Infra Nederland, has commissioned Wirtgen and New Electric to convert an asphalt spreading machine into the world’s first fully electrically driven asphalt spreading paver.
BAM say that on an annual basis the use of this machine will save more than 93,000 kilograms of CO₂ and 115,000 grams of nitrogen oxide emissions.
BAM Infra, along with partners Wirtgen and New Electric, have replaced the stage V motor with an electric drive consisting of a fixed battery of 270kWh and two smartly switched electric motors.
With a second 270kWh battery, the paver can immediately be moved to the next project after a long working day. This exchangeable battery is also suitable for use in other electric equipment.
The new electric asphalt paver can be used for eight to ten hours on fully charged batteries. In addition to the emission benefits, this electric asphalt paver makes considerably less noise than current machines. This is a big consideration, especially in built-up and urban areas.
BAM are continuously looking for opportunities for a positive environmental impact on and in the environment. In terms of equipment, the company is doing this by training employees in ‘het Nieuwe Draaien’, which is an efficient way of working with construction and earth-moving machines, by investing in the electrical chain and by building the world’s first electric roller in 2020.
Currently, 90 percent of BAM Infra Netherland’s plant runs on stage V engines with HVO as fuel. BAM aims to have the first completely emission-free asphalt set on the road by mid-2022.
