DEME Environmental Contractors (DEC) – a subsidiary of DEME Group – has purchased a fleet of Hitachi hybrid excavators to work on its soil and sediment recycling centers in Belgium.
Two of the ZH210LC-5s are based on the banks of the River Scheldt at Zwijndrecht, near Antwerp, with a third machine drafted in when demand is high.
The Hitachi hybrid excavators play a vital role in the recycling process at the eight-hectare Flanders site, which recycles 80,000 tonnes of sludge per year.
Supplied by Belgian Hitachi construction machinery dealer Luyckx, the ZH210LC-5s turn the layers of sludge and then break up the materials as they are neatly piled in 1.5m-high rows to accelerate the drying process through oxidation.
“ The order for the five Hitachi hybrid excavators fits within the measures that DEME is taking to achieve its intended improvement in efficiency, ” says Dirk Ponnet, DEC’s General Manager for the Flanders region . “ We will always prioritize sustainable techniques and solutions. The use of energy-efficient equipment is therefore entirely in line with our business philosophy.”
DEC has been a long-term user of Hitachi construction machinery and the 20-tonne machines in particular. “ Our other Zaxis excavators have always been extremely reliable ,” adds Dirk.
According to Dirk, after only one month of work, the new Hitachi hybrid excavators are already 30% more fuel-efficient than the previous models.