The first completely electric Scania 25L with a combined crane and compactor structure for rubbish collection in Denmark is now in service on Copenhagen’s streets, operated by global waste management business Urbaser. The crane truck’s primary components - chassis, crane, and garbage compactor - are all electrically driven, and the crane can easily run for a whole day on a single charge.
The primary function of the all-electric crane truck is to empty subterranean garbage bins positioned mostly around streets and squares in the capital’s new neighbourhoods of Nordhavn, Sydhavn and Amager. The garbage collection method in the districts requires residents to segregate their trash into up to ten different bags before disposing of it in underground bins near their houses.
When the containers are emptied, the driver employs an electrically powered crane to hoist them out of the concrete shaft in which they are housed. The container is then hoisted over the truck’s electrically powered garbage compactor, and the bottom of the container is opened, allowing the waste to fall into the compactor.
When the compactor is full, the driver transports it to an incinerator plant, where it is transformed into energy and district heating. Other sorted garbage, such as paper, cardboard, metal and plastic is delivered to different recycling facility.
The first three months of operation with the all-electric Scania crane truck shown that its nine battery packs with a total capacity of 297kWh had enough power for more than a full day of driving. Even though the batteries power both the truck’s drive and the hydraulic mechanism on the compactor unit, there is normally 40% battery capacity remaining by the end of the day. The crane is a Fassi 24.5 tonne/metre unit.
Scania Denmark, in partnership with Urbaser, conducted a simulation of the range of routes for which the electric crane truck will be utilised prior to its deployment.
A small team of Urbaser’s drivers was instructed on how to operate a battery-electric truck, which varies slightly from operating a regular diesel truck, before the crane truck was delivered.
