Battery-Electric Wheel Loaders Impress in Norwegian Tunnel Projects and Spark Stricter Emission Rules
Battery-powered wheel loaders operating in Norwegian tunnels are matching the performance of diesel machinery on major infrastructure projects, prompting Statens vegvesen to consider stricter zero-emission requirements for future road contracts.
Testing Heavy Electric Loaders Underground
Until recently, battery technology was deemed unsuitable for the largest construction machinery due to insufficient battery capacity and excessive charging times required for heavy shifts. Project manager Bjarte Næss at Skanska noted that while the 40-tonne machine functions well for its current tasks, the project requires a heavier machine to serve as a primary loader.
Skanska has ordered a larger 60-tonne battery-powered wheel loader from XCMG to gain the necessary payload capacity for muck-loading operations right at the tunnel face. Machine foreman Stian Lauvluten stated that the test machine delivers performance comparable to, or exceeding, diesel equivalents without exhibiting expected teething troubles. The machine carries a 700-kilowatt-hour battery pack, charging overnight when site power demand drops, supplemented by quick charges during two meal breaks on a twelve-hour shift. Vegvesen reports indicate the machine typically retains at least 30 percent battery capacity at the end of the workday.
Battery Loaders Improve Air Quality in Tunnels
Battery-powered wheel loaders offer significant operational flexibility within confined tunnels because they can easily move between muck-loading, rock-scaling, and utility tasks. Eliminating diesel combustion engines removes large volumes of exhaust and particulate matter from underground environments where ventilation is constrained. Næss emphasized that the reduction in emissions substantially improves air quality and working conditions for underground crews.
On the E134 Røldal–Seljestad project, Statens vegvesen mandated zero-emission material handling and transport on one side of the 12-kilometer Røldal Tunnel. Contractor Metrostav Norge AS initially tested a 25-tonne battery-powered LiuGong 870HE Max before ordering a 40-tonne unit slated for autumn delivery. Frode Lykkebø, project manager at Statens vegvesen, noted that zero-emission tunnel operations were considered unrealistic until recently.
Electric Power Reduces Fuel Costs for Machinery
Operating heavy machinery on electric power yields notable cost differences compared to diesel consumption. Per Fjeldal, climate advisor at Statens vegvesen, pointed out that a large wheel loader can burn up to 1,000 liters of diesel during a single twelve-hour shift, making low-cost Norwegian hydroelectric power an economically attractive alternative. However, this transition increases the electrical power infrastructure required at remote construction sites.
Regarding fire safety concerns related to lithium-ion batteries in subterranean environments, risk assessments conducted by Skanska and Vegvesen’s 2024 reports concluded that battery-powered machinery presents a risk profile equal to or lower than diesel equipment. Lauvluten observed that a burning diesel machine in a tunnel must simply be left to burn out before extraction, a protocol that applies equally to thermal runaway events in battery units. With Vegvesen targeting a 55 percent reduction in construction greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, these operational data points are directly shaping upcoming tender documents and procurement standards.