Volvo Construction Equipment (CE) and Hitachi Energy have announced a new pact to fast-track zero-emission construction sites
The move has broad potential impact across Africa and the rest of the globe as construction firms and equipment suppliers move toward cleaner, lower carbon working.
Two of the industry’s heavyweights have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that brings together the capabilities needed to make electric construction equipment a practical, on-site reality.
The collaboration brings together electric construction equipment with clean power supply, energy management and system integration capabilities to help address one of the construction industry’s most pressing challenges: decarbonisation.
Under the agreement, the two companies will work on a non-exclusive basis to assess potential technical and commercial concepts supporting zero-emission construction and manufacturing operations, with a focus on system integration and site-level operational execution.
The scope includes joint work on business models, go‑to‑market approaches, and aftermarket and support considerations, supported by joint teams from both companies.
“Strategic partnerships such as this with Hitachi Energy are key to accelerating the transition to zero-emission construction,” said Melker Jernberg, president of Volvo CE.
“By combining complementary expertise and delivering a complete, integrated solution, we are giving customers the confidence, security and peace of mind they need to adopt emission-free operations today.”
Customer and investor demand for lower‑emission, more productive construction operations is reshaping the industry, the two companies said in a statement.
At the same time, regulatory and permitting frameworks increasingly require projects to address emissions and environmental performance throughout the planning and approval process.
While electrification, automation and efficient resource and asset planning offer clear pathways to reduce emissions, transitioning from individual electric machines to fully functioning zero‑emission construction sites requires a coordinated ecosystem of solutions and effective system integration across equipment, power infrastructure, and energy management systems.
“Electrification is a game changer in the decarbonisation puzzle, particularly for hard‑to‑abate environments such as construction sites,” said Niklas Persson, CEO of Grid Integration at Hitachi Energy.
“As construction operations become more electric and more complex, success depends less on individual technologies and more on system‑level integration, strong execution, and close collaboration with partners like Volvo CE who share our ambition to enable zero‑emission construction at scale.”
The initial focus is on business and go‑to‑market‑oriented, emphasising practical, plug‑and‑play approaches to help customers simplify the transition to zero‑emission construction sites.
At the same time, the agreement establishes a foundation for deeper technical engagement over time, with the potential to explore more advanced capabilities such as connected machines, digital integration, and expanded service offerings.
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Volvo CE, Hitachi Energy to advance zero-emission construction sites
Zero-emission construction requires a coordinated ecosystem of solutions and seamless integration between machines, electrical infrastructure and energy management systems (Image source: Volvo CE/Hitachi Energy)
