Hitachi hybrid fleet for DEC
Hybrid ZH210LC-5 excavators prove an efficient solution for DEME Environmental Contractors
DEC (DEME Environmental Contractors) – a subsidiary of DEME (Dredging, Environmental & Marine Engineering) Group – have purchased a fleet of five Hitachi hybrid excavators to work at their soil and sediment recycling centres in Belgium.
Two of the ZH210LC-5s are based on the banks of the river Scheldt at Zwijndrecht, near Antwerp, with a third machine drafted in when demand is high.
The Hitachi hybrid excavators play a vital role in the recycling process at the 8ha Flanders site, which recycles 80,000 tonnes of sludge per year.
Supplied by Belgian Hitachi construction machinery dealers Luyckx, the ZH210LC-5s turn the layers of sludge and then break up the materials as they are neatly piled in 1.5m-high rows to accelerate the drying process through oxidation.
The hybrid excavator has been designed to deliver reliable performance with fewer emissions and less fuel consumption than the conventional ZX210LC-3 (the previous machine employed on the site).
More economical for DEC, easier for its operators and better for the environment, the ZH210LC-5 incorporates advanced technologies adopted from hydraulic, electric and battery-powered excavators. The result is the TRIAS HX system, which is said to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 31%.
These benefits match part of DEME Group’s corporate objectives for reduced energy consumption and lower CO2 emissions. DEME are striving for an efficiency improvement of 7% by 2022, compared with 2011.
‘The order for the five Hitachi hybrid excavators fits within the measures that DEME are taking to achieve their intended improvement in efficiency,’ said Dirk Ponnet, DEC’s general manager for the Flanders region.
‘We will always prioritize sustainable techniques and solutions. The use of energy-efficient equipment is, therefore, entirely in line with our business philosophy.’
DEC have been long-term users of Hitachi construction machinery and the 20-tonne machines in particular. ‘Our other Zaxis excavators have always been extremely reliable,’ added Mr Ponnet.
‘Hitachi offer a high standard of quality and value for money in this class. The ZH210LC-5 is an excellent size and weight – due to the ground pressure – for our needs and is also the most popular model in our fleet.
‘Our biggest challenge is to be cost-effective in a sustainable way. In the long term, we believe we can find the right balance between these two goals and that this approach will count. The new Hitachi hybrid excavators are, therefore, proving to be beneficial. After only one month, they are already 30% more fuel-efficient than our previous models and we are happy to be on track.’
