C&L, Cranes & Lifting, Features, Net Zero

Tadano’s mission to Zero Emissions

The Tadano GR-10000XLL EVOLT rough terrain crane is emblematic of Tadano's mission: Zero Emissions.

With its green solutions, Tadano’s mission is making a worldwide contribution to the goal of a decarbonised society. Tadano’s commitment to protecting our environment and contributing to the fight against climate change is manifesting itself in increasingly tangible ways. 

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With its slogan, “Our True Mission: Zero Emissions,” Tadano is highlighting its commitment to reducing CO2 emissions from its business activities by 25 per cent and from the use of its products by 35 per cent by 2030. Tadano’s goal is to be completely climate neutral by 2050 – zero emissions. To achieve these objectives, the company has grouped together its solutions for greater sustainability under the name of Tadano Green Solutions (TGS). 

Fully electric rough terrain cranes

In April 2021, Tadano announced that it was working on a fully electric rough terrain crane, which was showcased at last year’s ConExpo to industry members for the first time ever as a fully functional prototype. The GR-1000XLL EVOLT rough terrain can travel to work sites and take care of all lifting operations there exclusively with energy supplied by its batteries, making fully zero-emission operation possible. A single battery charge is enough for up to nine hours of crane operation, or five hours of crane operation with a travel distance of up to 20 km.

It is worth mentioning that the crane’s lifting performance is exactly the same as that of its diesel-driven counterpart, the GR-1000XLL-4: The powerful electric motor delivers a maximum output of 194 kW, ensuring that the GR-1000XLL EVOLT has the exact same lifting capacity and operating speed. It offers a top speed of 11.2 mph (18 km/h), and its dimensions are the same as those of the GR-1000XLL-4.

The GR-1000XLL EVOLT will be launched in 2024 – first in the USA and in Canada with additional releases in other countries, such as Australia, to follow.

More sustainability at work

The development of the GR-1000XXL EVOLT is clearly tied to Tadano’s sustainability philosophy: The company set its ambitious long-term environmental goals all the way back in April 2021, with one of them including reducing CO2 emissions from business activities by 25 per cent and from the use of its products by the aforementioned 35 per cent by 2030. And perhaps more importantly: Reaching net zero by 2050. To achieve these objectives, the company has grouped together all its solutions for greater sustainability under the name of Tadano Green Solutions (TGS). “In our role as the Tadano Group, we are deeply aware of our social responsibility for the environment and climate. This is why we’ve committed ourselves to actively and significantly contributing to making a decarbonised society a reality with our products and manufacturing processes. With the GR-1000XXL EVOLT as an important tech demo, we’ve taken a crucial step towards that goal,” points out Toshiaki Ujiie, President and CEO of Tadano Ltd.

Efficient auxiliary power

Tadano recently introduced its diesel-driven APU auxiliary power unit which it says reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 25 per cent.

The unit is currently approved for use as an optional accessory for new orders of Tadano RT models GR-800XL-4 rough terrain crane GR-1000XLL and GT-1000XL-4 rough terrain cranes in the USA and Canada. 

The 9hp, two-cylinder engine on the unit has an extremely low fuel consumption rate of only 0.75 litres of diesel fuel per hour. Moreover, by producing an output of 972 W, the APU can supply electric power for numerous important crane functions while the onboard engine is off. 

This includes the floodlights and aviation obstruction beacon, the wipers for the windshield and roof, the HVAC system, the USB outlet, and, of course, all important display functions inside the cockpit. 

Tadano calculates that the APU can reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by around a fourth when compared to the onboard diesel engine’s idle running.

e-PACK leads the way

Tadano introduced its e-PACK electro-hydraulic system in Europe all the way back in 2019,featuring an integrated 32-kW electric motor that works with zero emissions and nearly zero noise – and without any loss in lifting capacity to boot. 

All that is needed is for the crane to set down the e-PACK where it will be used so that it can be connected to an external 400 V / 63 A or 400 V / 32 A power supply. 

The e-PACK is currently available for all new Tadano AC cranes with lifting capacities of up to 80 tonnes, as well as a retrofit for existing cranes. 

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