Emission-free transport of sand, rubble and asphalt

The dyke reinforcement project Lauwersmeerdijk-Vierhuizergat is being carried out as emission-free as possible. Van der Wiel from Drachten even purchased an electric Volvo truck especially for this project, made possible by Combinatie Waddenkwartier. A second electric truck from Van der Wiel is also now frequently used to transport sand, rubble and asphalt on and around the dike.

"As a company, we take our responsibility and are constantly looking for the most innovative, circular and sustainable solutions," says Geert van der Ploeg, company manager at Van der Wiel in Drachten. "That matched the desire of Combinatie Waddenkwartier to carry out the dike reinforcement task on the Lauwersmeerdijk as sustainably as possible. So we found each other and entered into an agreement for the deployment of the electric trucks for a period of three years." 

Enthusiast

The trucks in question involve a Volvo FMX 6×2 tractor with 540 kWh battery pack. "Both vehicles drive on the dike daily for the supply and removal of various materials," says Geert. "And that goes to the full satisfaction of all parties. Of course, at first it took some getting used to the different way of deployment compared to a conventional truck. After all, the range is limited, but since we travel relatively short distances, that's not a problem here." According to Geert, the electric vehicles are not inferior to those with a diesel engine. "It's just a matter of good planning and combining driver breaks with loading moments. We've got that down well by now. The drivers have also been extremely enthusiastic from day one. The electric trucks are quite powerful, so they keep up well with traffic. It's very relaxing driving and especially very quiet on board."

Precursor

Van der Wiel's fleet currently consists of two electric trucks, but the company has plenty of ambitions to eventually evolve into a CO2-neutral fleet. "Incidentally, our entire fleet, consisting of 55 trucks, has a modern Euro VI engine and runs on HVO 100 biofuel if desired," Geert emphasizes, who does note that the higher rate of an electric truck is sometimes still a bottleneck. "The demand is there, but people would rather not pay extra for it. In government-related projects, however, budgets are made available for it. A great way for us to gain experience with it. We are therefore a forerunner in our region, dare to stick our necks out and are continuously working on making our services more sustainable."