<
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-11/how-cities-like-oslo-are-electrifying-the-construction-industry>
"There’s something slightly uncanny about seeing the Takeuchi TB20e at work.
Watching the excavator tear through an East London sidewalk, where it is
currently being trialed by UK construction company Falco and electricity
distributor UK Power Networks, it’s the sound of its motor that stands out.
Instead of the familiar clatter of a diesel engine, it emits only a barely
perceptible hum.
Digging a hole next to a busy side street, the machine itself is hard to hear
against the roar of traffic; only the occasional clank of its metal arm against
the concrete rises above the sounds of passing buses.
This serene scene is typical, the site workers told me; on one of their last
jobs, the operator said, they dug up the street next to a busy cafe. After
finishing, they asked the baristas if the noise had bothered the customers. The
cafe’s workers were surprised to learn that the work had been taking place at
all — proof either that the digger is very quiet or that espresso machines are
much too loud.
This isn’t the TB20e’s only advantage. Unlike diesel-powered diggers, the
operator said, the Takeuchi doesn’t need time to warm up, and it is
vibration-free.
Sights like these are still unusual, but may not be for long. A wave of
electrification is sweeping the construction industry, fueled not just by
environmental concerns and tightening pollution mandates but also by demands
for machinery that is less disruptive than the diesel-powered standard. The
transition from fossil fuel to electricity is notably less discussed for
backhoes, wheel loaders and forklifts than it is for passenger vehicles, but it
is one that could make a real difference in creating cleaner, quieter cities
and a healthier environment for workers and residents alike. That in turn
stands to deliver other positive effects, easing public resistance to noisy
construction projects and potentially paving the way for less costly
development.
That transformation is already underway. Oslo has been the trailblazer, setting
up the world’s first zero-emission construction site in 2019. As of this month,
85% of municipal construction sites in the Norwegian capital are
emissions-free, and the city hopes to take that to 100% by the end of this
year. Norway’s national government — which has been a global leader in the
transition to electric passenger vehicles — has just allowed all cities
nationwide to set up zero-emission zones that mandate electrified construction.
After starting six weeks of electrical construction trials this February,
London is also considering new rules to encourage a shift towards electricity."
Via
What Could Go Right? Ordinary People Rescue Democracy:
https://theprogressnetwork.org/poland-democracy-mixed-progress/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
