InfraStructures - June/July 2008 - First Plug-in System for the Refuse Collection Industry

First Plug-in System for the Refuse Collection Industry

The increasing demand for oil and transportation as well as continued growth in consumption and therefore waste generation has led Geesink Norba Group, a leading RCV body manufacturer in Europe, to develop a chassis independent Plug-in System. After a successful collaboration with Renova, they are the first customer in Sweden with this system, where all the RCV body functions are driven by an electric motor, which is charged via the mains electrical supply.

"The Plug-in System enables our customers and municipalities across Europe to advance within the area of environmental technology" says Per-Anders Scherlund, sales & marketing director, Geesink Norba Group. "We believe that this is the method of the future for running the RCV body, because the Plug-in System strongly reduces fuel consumption during the daily operation of the RCV, which directly reduces CO2 emissions."

"We are extremely pleased that we have introduced a more energy efficient RCV that reduces the load on the environment, which, together with our other investments within the environmental area, gives us credibility in our vision to lead the development towards long-term sustainable growth," says Lars Thulin at the Swedish customer Renova.

The Plug-in System is a stand-alone option that permits electrical operation of the RCV's body, tailgate, packing mechanism and lifter. The achieved result has a reduced impact on the environment, increases the RCV's areas of use and reduces operating costs.

The RCV's lifting and compaction operation is driven by an electric motor, which receives its energy from a battery pack. The battery pack is charged from the mains supply. The battery is optimally charged using cheaper off-peak and environmentally friendly electricity during the night. If necessary, the battery can also be charged from the chassis engine. The Plug-in System is a chassis independent system and can be combined with different types of engines.

Thanks to the electrical operation, carbon dioxide emissions are 0% during loading and compacting as the RCV is at stand still. This is ideal for residential areas, but also permits collection from, for example, garages and other sensitive areas. Noise levels are smoother as the body operates from a dedicated electric motor. The total CO2 emissions during a complete collection round can be reduced by 20%.

The electric motor is load sensing and do not use more energy than necessary. Results from test operations show a fuel saving of approx 20% when installed on a diesel driven chassis. When installing on a hybrid chassis with different engine combinations the savings potential is even greater.

Source: Geesink Norba Group