Reducing Harvest Emissions
Hybrid tech helps Southern Cross Harvesting reduce emissions
Our forestry operations are undergoing a tech transformation that will provide new pathways to reducing our carbon footprint.
Blair Cooper of Southern Cross Harvesting is an experienced and progressive forestry contractor exploring technology to improve the sustainability of his operations.
With the support of Timberlands and Volvo supplier (TDX), Blair invested in a hybrid excavator that his Southern Cross Harvesting crew use to take care of the fleeting and loading on the skid. For Blair, this is not merely about a new piece of machinery but a conscious effort to reduce our environmental footprint.
The EC250E Hybrid crawler excavator uses pioneering hydraulic hybrid technology to improve fuel efficiency by using the 'boom down' motion to charge the accumulator. The excavator then uses this stored energy to drive the assist motor, which powers the hydraulic pump.
The hybrid excavator at Southern Cross Harvesting has now been operating for over a year with calculated fuel (and emissions) savings of 12% compared to operating the standard unmodified version. Work continues to analyse the data in its trial phase.
Blair is optimistic about the hybrid model’s long-term impact.
“There is a new generation coming through in forestry that has contemporary thinking,” says Blair. “I can feel it when I'm talking to different contractors or operators, and most definitely there's a change. Timberlands is backing contractors with a pioneering approach because that takes courage."
With 12% fuel savings in its first year, this investment is showing signs of long-term cost-saving benefits. The sustainability journey Blair has undertaken has not gone unnoticed.
“The positive feedback from the sector and other contractors and awards we've received has been good, and we want to exercise patience to ensure we are considered with the information about the outcomes," says Blair.
Timberland's General Manager of Sustainability, Colin Maunder, says the decision to support and adopt the hybrid excavator was intentional. "This is tied to our broader focus on technology development, which will be a key component to being fossil fuel free before 2050."