This plough is intended to be used for meliorative tillage, i.e. to break up compaction and improve the soil as a result. The implement features bodies that plough at alternating depths to create wells below the tillage level in every other furrow, which are then filled with humus-rich topsoil. Analyses of historical trials conducted by the ZALF have shown that more than half of the humus introduced in this manner is retained to secure the long-term storage of CO2 in the soil.

The lower soil layers with little humus which are ploughed up in the process are mixed with the topsoil and form new humus-rich topsoil within a matter of only a few years, as carbon is introduced from crops. Overall, the humus content of soils tilled in this manner therefore increases, and soil fertility improves. At the same time, this sustainable soil improvement creates a new business model in the form of carbon farming.

Breaking up compacted soils while also introducing humus-rich topsoil into wells allows plant roots to grow into deeper soil levels and access the water and nutrients retained there. This approach can increase yields by up to five per cent even in the first year. This effect was established as early as the 1960s and 1980s and has been confirmed by recent field trials conducted by the ZALF.

The method can be repeated diagonally to the main direction of work after five to ten years. In addition to the above benefits, this new carbon farming technology also opens up new income streams for farmers in the form of trade in CO2 certificates. A potential future tax on CO2 emissions is therefore avoided, and the competitiveness of agricultural businesses is improved.

When paired with an iQblue connect module, the Carbon Farming Plough, which is based on tried and tested Lemken ploughs, will be capable of collecting site-specific work data and precisely documenting the depth and position of the wells created. This new plough will be available to purchase from mid-2024.

The post Lemken Conducts Carbon Farming Research Project appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Volvo Construction Equipment announced today the results of a pilot project testing the ECR25 Electric compact excavator and L25 Electric compact wheel loader in North America. Remarks were provided at a press event in Los Angeles alongside officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), and customers who tested the machines.

For nearly a year, Volvo CE has been testing its battery-powered ECR25 Electric compact excavator and L25 Electric compact wheel loader with multiple customers on job sites in Southern California with the goal of accelerating the deployment of zero-emission technologies for off-road vehicles. Both machines are zero-emission solutions that meet the high-performance standards of construction customers in a variety of applications, as proven through the recent testing scenarios. An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant administered by the South Coast AQMD provided funding for the project.

The pilot results come on the cusp of the company’s full roll-out of electric machines in these sizes, with customer deliveries of the ECR25 Electric expected in January 2022 and both units available throughout North America early in 2022. The company is the first to commercialize dedicated electric machines at the larger end of the compact size range.

“Our customer’s response to these machines validates that there is not only a desire for these types of machines in North America but a pull in many markets. This just adds further momentum to the Volvo vision of offering machines that align with Science-Based Targets and our overall commitment to decarbonization,”

said Stephen Roy, President of Region North America, Volvo CE.

Key learnings from the pilot

The pilot project confirms Volvo electric construction equipment matches performance and has significant benefits when compared to diesel machines in the same class.

“The California pilot project supports what we’ve seen on job sites in Europe and elsewhere: our battery-electric compact excavator and compact wheel loader are viable alternatives to diesel equipment for construction fleets that want to reduce their carbon footprints. Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time, we all have an important role to act, and by working together and collaborating we can reduce the number of harmful emissions that are entering the atmosphere,”

said Melker Jernberg, President of Volvo CE.

Key findings:

Sustainability — Powered by lithium-ion batteries and producing zero emissions, the ECR25, and L25 compact electric machines proved themselves as environmentally sound options. They also allowed some of the customers to operate inside buildings and other structures where diesel exhaust is restricted.

• Proof points: Based on the combined 400 operating hours of electric machine use during the year-long pilot, there was a reduction of 6 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and an approximate savings of 560 gallons of fuel with an estimated cost of $2,400, when comparing diesel machine use at the same amount of hours.

Noise — There were significantly lower noise levels compared with diesel equipment, reducing noise pollution and improving job site communication and safety by making it easier for crew members to hear each other. The testers said the machines could allow them to work in sound-sensitive areas.

• Proof points: Lowered exterior noise levels by 9 decibels (dBA) on the ECR25 Electric compact excavators compared to their diesel counterparts, which represents a 90% decrease in sound power. The L25 Electric compact wheel loader sees a similar reduction in sound power, which is a measurement of noise radiating from a source.

Performance — The Volvo electric machines have similar specifications to their diesel equivalents, and pilot project participants said that in practice the performance matched that of diesel machines. There also was positive feedback on the decreased maintenance needs of the electric machines, which don’t require maintenance items such as oil, oil filters, and diesel particulate filters. The need for a diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank is also eliminated.

• Proof points: Matched performance in several key areas, including digging depth and breakout force on the excavator and tipping load and dump height on the wheel loader.

Charging — The project was an enabler for adaptations to the machines to make them compatible with the North American power grid. The higher current available on the U.S. power grid compared with Europe was found to be a benefit to charging. The Volvo CE pilot project confirmed the importance of having access to quality charging connections. However, traditional power sources aren’t always required. Baltic Sands, for example, installed a solar array for its work in the desert.

• Proof points: Between the two machines, over 200 charge cycles were completed using 240-volt AC grid power, fast charging, mobile power sources, and solar power.

“This electric construction equipment produces no tailpipe emissions and protects the health of neighboring communities. In order to attain the national air quality standards and fight climate change, we need to aim for vehicles and equipment that produce near-zero emissions,”

said EPA Pacific Southwest Air and Radiation Division Director Elizabeth Adams.

Pilot project partners

The L25 Electric compact wheel loader and ECR25 Electric compact excavator were used by four organizations in a variety of applications:

• The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), for trenching, grading, and clearing of drainage areas.
• Casper Company, which specializes in demolition, concrete cutting, and environmental services, for utility and demolition work, including inside buildings.
• Baltic Sands Inc., which specializes in environmentally sensitive, off-grid property development, for excavation, grading, moving material, and numerous other tasks in housing construction.
• Waste Management, a waste disposal and recycling company, for light waste handling.

“Over the three months we tested, these machines performed exceptionally — matching what we would expect from a diesel machine of equal size but with no emissions. We are excited to be one of the early adopters in applying electric equipment to our business and I have a sincere belief that this is the future,”

said Jacques Marais, Director, Baltics Sands.

Applying the learnings and Volvo CE future priorities

Volvo CE continues to compile data and will submit full reports on the project to the South Coast AQMD and EPA.

Volvo CE will apply the learnings to future research and development of battery-electric vehicles. Points of emphasis will be to continue to enhance the run times of machines, optimize the onboard charging systems and continue to explore alternative charging methods for job sites without readily available access to charging stations.

Prebooking of the ECR25 Electric compact excavator and L25 Electric compact wheel loader for North American customers is open now for those who want to be among the first to own the machines when delivery begins in early 2022.

Additionally, Volvo CE will continue to develop the electrification of other sizes and types of machines.

Source: Volvo CE

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Forth, Sustainable Northwest, Wy’East RC&D, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation have partnered to launch Oregon’s first electric tractor demonstration to evaluate and demonstrate the potential of this new technology. The project will serve as an important test case to explore best use cases and areas to develop while increasing knowledge, access, and adoption of electric farm equipment to help farmers save money and reduce on-farm emissions.

The state’s first electric tractor arrived at Rusted Gate Farm outside Central Point, Oregon on March 4. Rusted Gate Farm is the perfect first location to test this new technology. They are a non-profit farm that experiments with traditional, alternative, and innovative farm practices. Their mission is to identify a mix of income-producing activities that can increase average farm income and ensure long-term financial security for small farms in Oregon’s Rogue River Valley. Rusted Gate will use the electric tractor in their truffle and apple orchards, food gardens, and for extensive grounds maintenance.

“We are thrilled to be the first farm in Oregon to test-drive an electric tractor. Our farm staff will conduct side-by-side comparisons to the gas and diesel-fueled equipment already in use. We’ll be able to track job time and fuel costs differences and also provide feedback on routine maintenance, ergonomics, and ease of use, “

said Jo-Ann Shannon, Executive Director of Rusted Gate Farm.

The project team has secured funding for a total of three electric tractors to be shipped to Oregon for initial testing and configuration in 2021. Tractors, installed with remote sensors that will collect usage data and measure on-farm savings potential, will start making their way around Oregon. We’re interested in learning where the tractor performs best and about opportunities for further agricultural equipment electrification.

While there have been great advancements in the electric passenger vehicle market, as battery technology and other innovations increase range and usage, electric vehicle adoption in the agricultural sector is relatively new but fertile for growth. The team hopes to share emission reduction, health and safety, and savings information with the 2021 project.

“People traditionally associate electric vehicles with cars in urban areas, but I’m looking forward to learning about the benefits and best use cases for electric tractors and finding ways to further transportation electrification in rural areas,”

Erin Galiger with Forth says.

The team looks to evaluate and scale a variety of electric agricultural technologies as part of a broader electrification effort that supports Oregon’s natural resource sectors and communities outside of urban areas. This includes expanding electric charging infrastructure at businesses, farm stands, and publicly available charging stations across Oregon.

“Farmers and ranchers have to make a lot of decisions based on unknown variables, and profit margins can be thin. This effort will demonstrate many anticipated benefits of electric agricultural equipment, from fuel savings, reduced maintenance, and downtime, reductions in diesel emissions, to increased health and safety. We hope to prove this technology is a win-win for Oregon’s farming community,”

says Robert Wallace with Wy’East RC&D.

Connecting people to the technology is a critical component of this project, and these tractors will be available for demonstration field tours, county fairs, and other public events starting Summer 2021. The team will work directly with individual agricultural producers, school districts, county fairgrounds, and demonstration farms.

“Conversations with farmers and ranchers in rural and tribal communities, from orchards and livestock operations to vegetable farms and indoor riding arenas, have resulted in growing interest and excitement about this new technology,”

notes Bridget Callahan of Sustainable Northwest.

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UMA is working as a geotechnical subcontractor to A Fluor-led joint venture (JV) with United Infrastructure Group, Inc. The project, formally known as NCDOT I-26 Exit 40 to I-40 Interstate Expansion Project, will help to alleviate traffic congestion and improve the safety and operational efficiency of this vital stretch of interstate in the Asheville area.

UMA commenced work in September 2020 and will ultimately construct 15 soil nail walls of varying heights, ranging in square footage from less than 1,000 to more than 25,000. All are permanent walls consisting of epoxy-coated soil nails, bearing plates, and a decorative cast-in-place concrete finish.

The magnitude of the project required UMA to rely on several local material suppliers. The I-26 project was subject to the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Buy America policy, so UMA secured nearly a half million pounds of domestic structural steel for the epoxy-coated soil nail bars from Skyline Steel. Reinforcing steel is being sourced from Guaranteed Supply Company. Roanoke Cement is supplying nearly 2 million pounds of Portland Cement required to bond the reinforcing tendons to the surrounding soil and rock, and enough shotcrete to cover a football field with an 8-inch layer.

The widening project also required a wider, taller, and more aesthetically pleasing Blue Ridge Parkway Bridge over I-26. UMA was tapped to install 35 rock anchors for the new three-span precast segmental bridge.

“UMA is proud to play an integral part on the Fluor-United JV for the I-26 project. Our combined efforts will help to improve traffic flow in the area while also retaining the natural beauty of Asheville.”

says President Brian DeSpain.

An industry leader in the development and refinement of innovative polymer grouting techniques, UMA Geotechnical Construction, Inc. creates specialized solutions to assist clients with ground engineering needs that save money and minimize downtime. As one of the first to use lightweight structural polymers to improve subsurface soils at depths greater than 40 feet, UMA is uniquely equipped to deliver safe, predictable, and effective results. The team includes industry experts in structural support, earth retention, and soil stabilization with decades of experience, and is dedicated to ongoing advancement in the field.

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Farmer Veteran Coalition was one of the dozen awarded. A national non-profit serving nearly 25,000 veterans turned farmers, FVC creates a new generation of farmers and food leaders while simultaneously offering our veterans a place to heal on America’s farms.

WWP funding will directly support the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. It’s a small grant program that provides assistance to veterans in the early stages of their agricultural careers with the purchase of a piece of equipment. For hundreds of members, the Fellowship Fund has made a difference in the viability of their farming operation.

Like WWP, FVC believes that every warrior has a next mission. Farming provides the kind of mission-oriented work that many veterans found satisfying while in the military, in addition to offering them a sense of purpose, opportunity, and physical and psychological benefits.

As member Davon Goodwin of North Carolina puts it, “the camaraderie you lose when you exit the military, you gain that through FVC.”  Davon was injured in Afghanistan in 2010, which altered his life goal of pursuing a Ph.D. in Botany. He transitioned into farming instead with the idea of providing the same commitment to his community as a farmer that he did as a soldier.

“When I got on the farm I felt reinvigorated, I felt life. I felt like there was a connection between humans and soil. When I put my hands in the dirt, it changed me.”

acknowledges the prior Fellowship Fund awardee.

This funding from WWP will support 36 new fellowships – at least half of them designated for female veterans – on their next mission: they have served their country once by defending it, and now a second time in feeding it.

The Fellowship Fund program directly aligns with WWP’s mission by connecting, serving, and empowering wounded warriors that have experienced physical and emotional harm.

It connects recipients into FVC’s vast network of veterans to combat geographic and psychological isolation so common to farmers while establishing a sense of community and camaraderie that mirrors the fellowship of military service.

It serves those who have served our country. For many, the purchase of equipment gives “wounded warriors” with physical limitations the ability to do work on their farms that their physical limitations would otherwise prohibit.

It empowers by giving veterans the financial assistance they need to launch a farming business, and the opportunity to use their existing skills from military service to succeed as an agricultural professional and earn a meaningful, financially sustainable place in the agricultural community.

WWP is providing their 2021 partners more than $2.3 million combined total in grants to expand the impact of WWP’s existing efforts and to fill gaps in programs and services.

“The military and veteran community organizations that we work with help us fill critical gaps in care, ensuring that America’s injured veterans and their families have access to the resources they need to thrive. We’re proud to support these amazing organizations and the diverse spectrum of services and programs they provide. Through these grants, we are strengthening the communities where these warriors, and their families, work, and live.”

said WWP CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington.

Source: Farmer Veteran Coalition

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However, Kinze and Ag Leader deny all allegations of infringement. This legal action has absolutely no effect on the availability of current Kinze and Ag Leader products.

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When Ecorobotix defined the planning for the year 2020 with numerous agronomic tests, It expected the AVO robot to encounter certain obstacles but also some great victories. The HAFL project was one of them because, in the process of the overall operation of the robot, They were able to validate certain functionalities and obtain an extremely encouraging study result.

Deciphering an important step in the development of their technology

Last spring, Ecorobotix was fortunate enough to conduct a pilot project with our HAFL partner. In the predefined objectives for this test they find including:

• Comparison of AVO technology to conventional weed control
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of the plant recognition system
• Examine the accuracy of the spraying device

Description

• Location: Aarberg (BE)
• Date: June 2020
• Variety of beet: Smart Belamia

For these trials, 3 treatment modalities were considered:

• M1 – Full herbicide treatment (traditional application)
• M2 – Herbicide band treatment coupled with AVO passages
• M3 – Herbicide treatment carried out only with AVO

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the different approaches, surveys of the weedy flora have been regularly realized by their partner.

Study results

The results presented in the table above demonstrate excellent overall performance in terms of stability and detection rate of the detection device spraying. The values obtained to allow validation of the algorithmics and mechatronics in field conditions! For all the tests carried out, the modalities corresponding to use complementary (M2) or a total of their technology (M3) have demonstrated results comparable to a traditional application (M1). These results put also evidenced substantial savings in herbicides.

Work continues for their engineers to optimize the robot’s feed speed. As well as the efficiency of spraying. One of the major challenges is to obtain a regularity of the robot’s performance in all types of terrain and independent weather conditions.

To date, algorithmic and mechatronic validations allow Ecorobotix to use their technology behind a tractor traveling at 8km/h.

Source: Ecorobotix

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Volvo Construction Equipment has a long history of supporting community projects that spread social good. Now, in what has been a challenging year for people worldwide, the company is putting a renewed focus on this work with The Building Tomorrow Project.

From building schools for children in Beijing to building homes in hurricane-devastated Panama City, Florida — The Building Tomorrow Project seeks to create real change throughout the globe.

Putting real action behind the project’s purpose, one such example is the company’s commitment to tackle a key issue in the United States: disaster relief efforts.

In February, Volvo CE turned its attention to hurricane-affected Panama City, Florida, where some families have been displaced for nearly two years since Hurricane Michael destroyed 10,000 homes in the county in October 2018. Twenty volunteers from Volvo CE and local dealer Cowin Equipment assisted in Habitat for Humanity rebuilding efforts there before the nonprofit organization’s planned builds were temporarily put on pause due to COVID-19 concerns.

Throughout 2020 and 2021, Volvo CE has committed to supporting Habitat for Humanity in North America: including in disaster relief areas such as Panama City and in communities served by local Volvo CE dealers.

While building efforts were temporarily paused during the health crisis, the building is beginning to resume across the United States. While those efforts ramp up, the organization is encouraging virtual volunteerism to help raise funds in support of future build sites. In addition to the company’s commitment to supporting home builds as projects resume, Volvo CE North America recently donated $116,000 to Habitat for Humanity — a result of the company’s partnership with Discovery’s Gold Rush TV show and the sales proceeds of a custom Gold Rush excavator announced earlier this spring. The same sale also resulted in a $174,000 donation to Building Homes for Heroes — an organization that builds custom homes for U.S. veterans in need.

“Through our partnership with Volvo CE, Habitat is better poised to address the recovery work in areas affected by natural disasters and the affordable housing crisis that exists in communities around the world,”

says Colleen Finn Ridenhour, Chief Development Officer for Habitat for Humanity International.

The work in Panama City is just one of many projects to be highlighted as part of The Building Tomorrow Project. In addition to helping families build adequate housing in North America, Volvo and its employees are helping to empower underprivileged youth in India by providing them with machine operating skills and contributing to the construction of hospitals and schools in Zambia, China, and Latin America. While these are just a few examples, similar community projects are happening all over the world.

But none of this is new. Volvo CE has always been driven by the idea that through the passion, hard work, and collaboration of its people, it can make a meaningful contribution to thriving and sustainable societies.

Bill Law, Volvo CE Head of Brand, Marketing and Communication, says:

“The Building Tomorrow Project is not a campaign. It’s a commitment that we have lived and breathed from the very start of our business. It is an ongoing pledge from our Volvo CE family to millions around the world that we’re working to change lives for the better and provide communities with what they need to rise above societal challenges.”

Source: Volvo CE

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Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock GmbH together with Aibel AS has signed a contract for the delivery of a cylinder-luffing crane, type RL 2600-35 Lit. The company TenneT TSO GmbH commissioned Aibel AS to build the offshore platform DolWin epsilon on which the Liebherr crane will be used for supply and maintenance tasks on the German North Sea.

The RL 2600-35 Lit is a weight-optimized and compact designed offshore crane. It is the ideal equipment for small platforms, where space is limited. The RL 2600-35 Lit has a box boom with a maximum working outreach of 52 meters and a maximum lifting capacity of 35 tons.

“With the RL 2600-35 Lit, we are delivering the latest innovation within our offshore crane portfolio. The crane is ready to be equipped with innovative maintenance features to meet the demanding requirements of normally unmanned offshore platforms and with its reliable and maintenance-friendly design the RL 2600-35 Lit will help to lead the DolWin5 project to a success”,

says Matti Basan, Sales Manager Offshore Cranes.

With DolWin5 TenneT realizes a high-voltage direct current offshore grid connection system in the German part of the North Sea. The grid connection has a transmission capacity of 900 MW and is located in the DolWin cluster. DolWin5 is to connect the offshore wind park Borkum Riffgrund 3 to the high-voltage grid onshore.

Long cooperation with Aibel AS and TenneT

The RL 2600 will be delivered in the middle of 2021. Until that, Liebherr will collaborate closely with Aibel AS, who is responsible for building the offshore platform. With this order, the business relationship between Liebherr and Aibel AS is expanded and strengthened. Once the platform has been completed, TenneT will take it over and operate the RL 2600-35 for maintenance work and the loading and uploading of offshore supply vessels.

Liebherr delivered already 13 RL cranes to the customer TenneT. Various sizes were requested, from the RL 850 and the RL 1500 to the RL 2650 with a possible maximum lifting capacity up to 60 tonnes. All of these cranes are placed on offshore platforms, which are necessary for the operation of offshore wind farms. Liebherr and TenneT are thus contributing to the expansion of renewable energies and emission-free power supply.

Weight-optimized and compact design

A weight-optimized and compact design with a load-bearing capacity up to 100 tonnes makes the ram luffing crane series (RL) from Liebherr an ideal piece of equipment for small and unmanned platforms or floating storage vessels. The ram luffing crane RL can be powered electro-hydraulically or diesel-hydraulically and is available for explosive areas in accordance with the requisite classification. The box-type booms in the RL crane have a cylinder luffing design. This lowers the height and weight to a minimum and enables low-maintenance operation.

Source: Liebherr

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The environmental issues associated with excavation and construction work are easy to overlook, but as machines become more efficient it does have a positive impact. Engcon’s smart tiltrotator, which is tilting and rotating quick coupler, adds a whole new dimension to the excavator – the machine can use the tiltrotator to perform movements that were not previously possible. And with the rest of Engcon’s smart range, efficiencies can be significantly improved. A good start is to combine the tiltrotator with the automatic quick coupler system with EC-Oil to upgrade to a more efficient excavator:

”EC-Oil is a smart quick coupler system that automatically connects hydraulics, electricity and central lubrication between the machine’s quick coupler and under the tiltrotator. In addition, all Engcon hydraulic tools, grippers, ground vibrators, fork racks and sweepers have automatic oil coupling as standard. In fact, the combination of the tiltrotator and EC-Oil means that the entire excavator industry is being revolutionized,”

says Stig Engström, founder of Engcon, and continues:

”Digging, planning, trenching, sloping, tearing, grabbing, lifting, sweeping, compacting – the possibilities are endless for what an excavator can perform when it is equipped with our tiltrotator and the tools we offer”.

With Engcon’s automatic quick coupler system EC-Oil, the driver can remain in the cab and safely change tools on the machine – mechanical as well as hydraulic. The fast and smooth tool changes also enable the machine to perform several different types of work in a shorter time frame. Engcon’s products mean that the driver can turn the bucket instead of driving the machine around, allowing the bucket to access difficult and narrow passages with less machine movement.

“The excavator becomes a tool carrier with automatic quick coupler systems that in combination with a tiltrotator increase the excavator’s efficiency. “Do more. Earn more” will revolutionize digging all over the world and we want North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia to follow in the Nordic region’s footsteps and the progress they have made. But we do not want to stop there! If all the excavators in the world were to consider ways to improve efficiencies, there would be enormous benefits for the environment and also for the individual excavator operator, who has the opportunity to develop a more profitable business,”

Stig Engström concludes.

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