Veolia introduces their first electric materials handler in the UK
Global resource management company, Veolia, has introduced their first electric materials handler in the UK. Installed at the company’s flagship Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) in Southwark, the materials handler will be used to load the incoming recyclable waste into the bag splitters of the Material Recovery Facility (MRF), which separates the different recyclable materials so they can be sent for reprocessing into new products.
Prioritising sustainable patterns of production is a top priority in Veolia’s journey towards ecological transformation and adapting mobile plant vehicles to electric is just one way to achieve this. This also supports Southwark Council’s Climate Action Plan, and ambitions to reduce carbon emissions from the waste management fleet.
Making the switch to electric power for the MRF will create a 65% saving in CO₂ emissions per year compared to a diesel powered alternative model. That’s 66 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided annually, equivalent to taking 39 cars off the roads of Southwark each year.
Due to the reduced wear and tear and lower maintenance requirements for electric machines versus diesel ones, the equipment is also expected to have a longer lifespan, going beyond 20,000 hours of run time, that’s five years in Southwark’s 24/7 Integrated Waste Management Facility. The vehicle has been fondly named Caroline after the manager who undertook the procurement exercise for this equipment.
Matthew Crane, Veolia Southwark Regional Manager said:
“Here at Veolia Southwark we are very proud to welcome this new electric materials handler to our site. This is a company first that will reduce our carbon emissions and improve sustainability as well as helping us on our journey to ecological transformation.”
By expanding the use of existing and new innovative solutions, Veolia is accelerating the process to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. This demonstrates the commitment to tackle climate change, resource depletion, biodiversity collapse, and pollution and place ecology at the heart of every process.