The power of electric equipment

The list of electric equipment purchased in 2024 is long. Jeffrey Hoffmann, director of Ballast Nedam Materieel, takes a moment to go through it. His list: two articulated loaders, two heavy vibratory plates, a telescopic crawler crane, an excavator, a static roller, a tandem roller, battery packs for the construction site, and a hybrid generator with battery pack. ‘Every time we consider a new purchase, we try to develop a viable business case for electric’, says Jeffrey. ‘On average, electric equipment costs three times as much as traditional equipment, so that’s a challenge. But we seize opportunities whenever we can. For example, the A27 project offers the certainty that we can use an excavator for three years. That made it possible to justify the investment in the electric excavator.’

Practical feasibility is also mentioned by Joep Hartjes, who, as director of
Ballast Nedam Regional Infra, uses much of the equipment that Jeffrey purchases. ‘Continuity from assignments creates room for investment. We work a great deal for governments, and they often set sustainability requirements. This positions us to secure contracts without having to offer the lowest price. That was the case, for example, with the framework agreement we signed with the municipality of Utrecht for road markings. In terms of price, we ranked seventh among the bidders, but because we could commit to using electric equipment, we secured the job. A great success. Investments in sustainability thus arise from a combination of customer demand and our own intrinsic motivation.’

It is precisely this combination that Bramske also emphasises in her efforts to further promote sustainability – and, consequently, investments in electric equipment – within Ballast Nedam. ‘Clients are demanding sustainable solutions and legislation is becoming increasingly strict. If you add up these and other factors, there is only one conclusion possible: only if you’re sustainable will you continue to play a role in the future.’ She immediately adds that shifting government policies occasionally create uncertainty. Consider the emission-free zones that various municipalities have been preparing for years to ensure a clean city center, which the current cabinet actually wanted to abandon. ‘Fortunately, those municipalities stood their ground. Those emission-free zones in the inner cities are now a reality after all. That gives us yet another reason to continue with electric equipment. Otherwise, we will no longer be able to enter those zones.’

Speaking of inner cities, along the Rijnkade in Arnhem, Ballast Nedam continued work in 2024 on 1,200 metres of dyke reinforcement and the redevelopment of the quay area, on the edge of the city centre. Bramske: ‘We placed a strong focus on electric equipment there, also at the request of the client. The great thing is that you not only have clean air but also less noise. The construction for this project was entirely emission-free, and the associated transport was nearly emission-free. With this, we saved 1.4 million kilos of CO₂ – a reduction of 99%.’ To put it into perspective: such a reduction is equivalent to no less than 203 laps around the planet by car. 

Electric equipment helps to bring the sustainability goal of emission-free construction sites within reach and to meet clients’ sustainability requirements. ‘Moreover,’ according to Joep, ‘it is sometimes necessary due to nitrogen emission issues. With equipment that runs on diesel, there is too much pollution and some projects simply cannot proceed. Electric equipment is the solution.’ 

Jeffrey also thinks electric equipment is something to be proud of. ‘In 2024, we started using an electric lorry combination with a lorry-mounted crane at Ballast Nedam Materieel, in collaboration with transport company St vd Brink. This is completely emission-free and can therefore enter all environmental zones of municipalities. Furthermore, it is the first of its kind in Europe – truly something to be proud of. There is also extra benefit for our team. A driver told me that he is very happy with this new crane lorry because he can give verbal instructions on the construction site without the smell and noise of a running diesel engine.’

The year 2024 delivered great results in terms of investments in and the use of electric equipment. ‘Where it is realistic and practically feasible, we should definitely continue’, says Joep. Jeffrey agrees, also because he ‘doesn’t want to leave the planet in a bad state for his children’. However, like Bramske, he points out that political developments can influence the extent to which clients demand sustainable solutions. ‘That can make it more difficult for us to develop sufficiently solid business cases.’ But Bramske is clear: ‘As Ballast Nedam, we want to continue to commit ourselves to sustainability. In that regard, I also find the interest of our parent company, Rönesans Holding, very encouraging. In their home market of Turkey, they too aim for emission-free construction sites and want to learn how to develop business cases for electric equipment. We have been building up that expertise and experience for years now and can therefore support them in this. That is why we cannot and will not take a different course. We believe in this and wholeheartedly embrace our social responsibility.’