Global building materials company Heidelberg Materials UK has deployed the UK’s first battery-electric Volvo L120 wheel loader, marking the introduction of fully electric heavy mobile equipment into its domestic operations.
The deployment represents the latest milestone in a formal partnership established in 2023 between Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) and Heidelberg Materials to decarbonise construction sector supply chains.
The zero-emission machine has replaced a diesel-powered counterpart at Heidelberg Materials UK’s primary aggregates bagging facility in Nuneaton, where it performs material handling tasks across sand, aggregate, and cement production lines.
Equipment distributor SMT Great Britain managed the operational setup, installing charging infrastructure and delivering operator training to ensure site productivity and battery efficiency.
Key operational parameters and regional impact metrics include:
- Battery performance: The machine completes standard 7.5-hour operational shifts on a single charge, maintaining approximately 30 per cent remaining battery capacity.
- Charging infrastructure: Dual-charging setup featuring a slow overnight charger paired with a 150 kW DC fast charger capable of delivering a full charge within 1.5 hours.
- Emissions reduction potential: Land-based fleet transport represents roughly 6 per cent of Heidelberg Materials’ Northern European value chain emissions; electrifying the regional fleet could reduce carbon emissions by up to 200,000 tonnes annually.
- Phased transition strategy: The pilot serves as an operational benchmark ahead of expanding electric heavy machinery across more demanding quarrying and mining sites.
Darren Fitch, Head of Strategic Accounts at Volvo CE, stated that working closely with industrial partners ensures zero-emission machinery matches diesel productivity and uptime while maintaining competitive total cost of ownership (TCO) metrics.
Marian Garfield, Sustainability Director at Heidelberg Materials UK, added that transitioning heavy mobile equipment to electric drive systems is critical to achieving the group’s net-zero 2050 targets.
The deployment follows a joint circular economy project last year, during which Volvo CE, SMT GB, and Heidelberg Materials refurbished a 14-year-old Volvo L350 wheel loader to extend its operational lifespan and avoid manufacturing emissions.
