Sweden / Finland - Finnish haulier, Kuuskuljetus Oy is operating a Scania G 410 liquified gas truck with an electro-hydraulic loader crane. By filling biogas, the haulier claims it has reduced its carbon emissions by up to 90%.

The vehicle is Finland’s first LNG truck with a plug-in battery powered electro-hydraulic crane. This unusual combination was selected in view of Kuuskuljetus’ transport assignments for the Renta Group. Renta supplies scaffolding in the capital of Helsinki, operating in the early hours of the morning when residents are asleep. Since the gas truck is much quieter it causes far less disturbance, when travelling to the work site, while the onboard HIAB X-HiPro loader crane operates almost silently, as power for the electric motor in the crane for working the hydraulics comes from the batteries. Janne Voitto, managing director of Kuuskuljetus, commenting on the new configuration said: “The batteries are charged during the night, which is usually sufficient for the day’s work. If there is a lack of power, the crane can be traditionally operated with power from the engine.” Although this truck has only just recently entered service, Voitto is already conceptualising a potential improvement, he added: “I’m examining whether the batteries could be charged using the oil flow generated in the hydraulic system.”