First all-electric pile driver delivered

Both H. Van Dieren Hei- en Waterwerken and Boer B.V. are taking delivery this year of a fully electric pile-driving machine from the Finnish brand Junttan. And next year, a third Junttan will be delivered in the Netherlands, says Michiel van Es, managing director for Junttan BV.According to Van Es, the development towards emission-free piling is inevitable, especially now that substantial purchase subsidies for emission-free equipment are available.

Although the number of electric pile-driving machines in the Netherlands is still small, Junttan has ample experience with the PMx2e, which was introduced in 2021. The very first electric pile driver has been running for more than a year now at the Swedish contracting company Aarsleff Ground Engineering AB and they are very satisfied. "But also Dutch operators who have been doing test runs are very pleased with the performance," says Van Es. "The PMx2e is designed to match the operational performance of a diesel-powered rig as closely as possible, even in the toughest working conditions. The result is a machine that offers the same robust structure and efficiency as a traditional piling rig. The footprint of projects and companies is significantly lower because the machine is emission-free and therefore does not emit harmful substances such as nitrogen and CO2. Extremely suitable, therefore, for work near Natura 2000 areas."

Junttan was aware from the beginning that the existing success of diel machines had to be at least matched with an electric variant. And so did user-friendliness. The large torque provided by the electric motor allows multiple functions to run simultaneously.

Instead of a diesel engine, Junttan now drives the hydraulic system with an electric motor that generates its power from a battery pack on the back of the machine that also functions as a counterweight. In this way, they were able to build a solution that is reliable, user-friendly and just as effective as regular diesel-powered Junttan. To make site work easy, they chose a solution where the machine is powered by a 396 kWh battery pack that can be changed during the day if needed. By choosing a detachable system with two batteries instead of one larger fixed battery, charging can be done with a normal 63A connection and the charging time of a batey is about 9 hours. So they are charged overnight.

With the state-of-the-art CCS DC-DC fast charger, the battery packs can be charged up to 250 kWh to allow more flexibility into the future.even with a single battery pack. Van Es: "As standard, the PMx2e comes with two detachable battery packs. This allows you to run for a total of 13 hours at an average workload. If there are sufficient charging facilities at the construction site, the packs can also be recharged at the site. In view of a vehicle-to-grid solution, other devices can also be charged with it. Optionally, the PMx2e can be supplied with an integrated 33 kWh battery whereby the machine can be moved without being connected to an external battery. "If desired, it is possible to charge the machine while working but it is designed to run for a full working day without being connected to construction power, " said Van Es.

For companies that do not want to invest in a new machine, Junttan also offers the possibility of converting an existing diesel machine to an electric version. "And subsidies are available for that too," Van Es explains. We are happy to assist customers with the application to make the switch to electric possible..."  

Grants

Although the latest subsidy round on May 9 has since been oversubscribed, the subsidy pot for zero-emission construction equipment is still quite full until 2030. A total of 270 million euros is available. With the Clean and Emission-free Construction Equipment Subsidy Scheme (SSEB), the government wants to encourage construction companies to switch to clean construction equipment to help reduce nitrogen. The total SSEB budget for 2023 is €60 million, a tripling of the budget compared to 2022. In addition to subsidizing the purchase of new zero-emission construction equipment, it is also possible to apply for subsidies to convert and retrofit construction equipment and vessels already in use to low-emission or zero-emission. For the purchase scheme ("SSEB Purchase"), the subsidy applicant uses machines themselves or offers them to other companies via lease or rental. The subsidy on the purchase of new zero-emission construction equipment and construction vehicles is 40 percent of the additional cost over an internal combustion engine construction machine (up to 50 percent for small and medium-sized businesses).The SSEB for conversion ('SSEB Retrofit') has the same subsidy rates, but calculated on the net investment cost per conversion.