The emissions from global construction machinery are comparable to those of the global aviation industry, with excavators accounting for approximately 50% of these emissions.
A recent edition of the influential Impact series whitepaper by Danfoss highlights the urgent need to take action in reducing carbon emissions from heavy-duty vehicles such as construction machinery. This is crucial for achieving global climate goals.
Domenico Traverso, President of Danfoss Power Systems' Editron division and Business Incubation, attended the International Union of Architects (UIA) World Architects Congress held in Copenhagen. He showcased the latest edition of Danfoss' Impact series whitepaper, emphasizing the application of energy-efficient technologies as the key to reducing carbon emissions from construction machinery. These technologies can significantly decrease fuel consumption in excavators while addressing the challenges of electrification.
Cities account for 70% of global carbon emissions, and the success or failure in combating climate change, often referred to as a "war," ultimately depends on urban areas. The annual CO2 emissions from global construction machinery are staggering, reaching 400 million tons, equivalent to the yearly emissions of the international aviation industry. Among these emissions, excavators contribute 50%. While passenger cars and small construction machinery can easily be electrified and charged with renewable energy, the situation is more complex for heavy-duty vehicles like excavators.
Excavators operate under complex and challenging conditions, requiring long idle times after battery system charging. To achieve the same productivity as traditional diesel-driven excavators, electric-driven excavators require significantly larger batteries, which can increase upfront costs and make the entire production process more resource-intensive. Therefore, without implementing additional measures, the electrification of heavy machinery faces challenges at both the technological and economic levels.
Furthermore, most excavator worksites lack necessary charging infrastructure for equipment. Remote and large-scale worksites like quarries typically rely on battery swapping during shift changes and then transport the batteries to charging warehouses. The volume and weight of batteries pose logistical challenges for such operations.
However, through efficiency improvements, the size of batteries required for excavators can be reduced, resulting in lower demands for on-site charging facilities and renewable energy.
Domenico Traverso, President of Danfoss Power Systems' Editron division and Business Incubation, stated, "From an industry perspective, we must all take responsibility for the climate issues we collectively face. We need to actively share technologies and solutions that hold green value. The construction industry is cost-sensitive, so we must help the sector decarbonize in the most cost-effective way. Otherwise, decarbonization efforts cannot be significantly accelerated. In such a scenario, the value of energy-efficient solutions becomes prominent."
The latest edition of Danfoss' Impact series whitepaper (Chinese version to be released soon) thoroughly examines practical case studies from various construction sites, particularly focusing on how existing technologies can rapidly assist in emissions reduction and achieve green transformation.
Traditional excavator power sources have an energy efficiency of only 30%, with the remaining 70% wasted. Danfoss believes that significant energy savings can be achieved in heavy machinery such as excavators through the application of products and solutions like variable displacement pumps, digital displacement pumps, variable speed pumps, and distributed variable frequency drives. With the support of energy recovery systems, the efficiency of these machines can be further enhanced, resulting in significant energy consumption reduction.
By implementing these energy-efficient measures, excavator engines become more compact, energy consumption decreases, and operational efficiency improves. Simultaneously, the required battery capacity for electrification can be reduced by approximately 24.8%. Rapidly advancing technologies can save 15-30% of fuel for excavators weighing over 15 tons while enhancing their operational capabilities. In the near future, these measures can be applied to excavators of various sizes, with the potential for energy savings reaching 50%.
By prioritizing energy efficiency and exploring electrification possibilities, significant contributions can be made towards decarbonizing heavy machinery and paving the way for a sustainable future.
