Atlas Copco invest in the future

Company inaugurates dedicated production line for electric portable air compressors in Belgium

AS part of the shift to a more sustainable society, Atlas Copco have invested in the future by inaugurating their first production line dedicated to the assembly of low-carbon electric compressors. Based in Antwerp, Belgium, the new assembly line will cut lead times for the company’s E-Air VSD units by half.

Designed to deliver a cost-effective and low-carbon compressed-air solution in even the toughest applications, the E-Air has gained considerable momentum since its release in 2019. Responding to this growth of consumer interest in clean energy tech, Atlas Copco have invested in the extra capacity to optimize their output of the E-Air mobile compressors. The new production line – which is itself powered by green electricity, including extensive solar panels on site – has more than doubled daily production capacity of the E-Air at the facility.

During a research project in 2021, Atlas Copco quantified and confirmed that the majority of emissions derive not at the time of manufacture, but from the lifetime use of their products. As a consequence, the company decided to tackle this in-use carbon footprint by increasing the accessibility of electric portable compressed air solutions. The extended production of the electric units will positively impact machine availability and time-to-market, thereby accelerating the transition to a more sustainable future.

Bert Derom, president of Atlas Copco Portable Air Division, commented: ‘The dedicated E-Air production line is a tangible symbol of our commitment to a sustainable transformation. We are embracing innovation that meets our customer and partner demands for efficient low-carbon solutions, while simultaneously lowering our own emissions. The new, all-electric assembly line supports our collective sustainability targets, and together help us contribute to a better tomorrow.’