Volvo EC380E Hybrid Excavator Customised for Underwater Gravel Extraction

A customized EC380E Hybrid excavator from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is tackling an exciting new challenge. It’s helping with underwater digging at a gravel pit in Germany.  www.volvoce.com This innovative 40-tonne machine belongs to Gruber Betriebs GmbH, a leading building construction and civil engineering firm in Bavaria, Germany. But this is no ordinary EC380E Hybrid. It’s specially customized to work effortlessly both above and under water at the firm’s 9.2-hectare gravel pit in Vogtareuth, helping extract some 82,000 tons of gravel each year. Meeting new demands with precision Rudolf Gruber, the founder’s son and a key member of the 100-strong team for eleven years, explains: “With a new permit allowing a gravel quota of 3.8 million tons, we needed an excavator that could dig, clear and demolish the gravel efficiently. The Volvo EC380E Hybrid was the answer. We’ve never had a machine quite like this ‘monster’ before.” Operator, Srdan ‘Schorschi’ Jorgic is equally impressed and has already named his new machine ‘Fat Berta’. He notes: “Around 70 percent of the time, the new excavator will be used in the gravel pit. We used to rely on a cable excavator for the underwater work, but with the EC380E Hybrid fitted with the long boom, we can now easily dig up to 8 meters deep.” Clever customization for optimal performance The excavator has been fitted with a custom-made long boom and screening bucket, which is punched like a perforated plate. Both have been designed by Beco, a Volvo CE authorized partner in the Netherlands. Danijel Babalj, Bavarian Branch Manager at Volvo CE dealer, Robert Aebi GmbH, explains: “We ordered the EC380E Hybrid with a mono boom from the factory. Beco then extended it by adding an extra middle attachment, creating an interchangeable system. Within an hour, the short boom can be swapped for a 14-meter version, including all hydraulic connections. The cab design is also completely new.” Hybrid technology delivers fuel and CO₂ savings With Volvo CE’s innovative hybrid technology, the machine harnesses the lowering movements of the boom to charge a hydraulic accumulator. Depending on the power needed, the stored energy is used to switch on an auxiliary engine to support the drive system, delivering both fuel and CO₂ emissions savings. The hybrid model was ordered as the excavator will mainly be used in the gravel works, where the energy recovery can be put to good use. Fuel savings of 10 to 15 percent are expected. Rudolf said: “If the estimated savings are accurate, we will save around 15,000 Euros a year. Our trust in in Volvo CE is why every excavator in our 42-machine fleet is a Volvo. I believe our investment in the EC380E Hybrid will pay for itself with the work at Vogtareuth alone.” Another special feature of this machine is the presence of two different central lubrication systems which work independently of one another. This design allows for a biodegradable lubricant to be used for the underwater tasks with the long boom, preventing any groundwater contamination, even in the event of a faulty pipe. This aligns with guidelines set by the local water management authority. A powerful solution for gravel extraction Gruber extracts around 220,000 tons from its six gravel pits every year, 82,000 tons of which come from Vogtareuth. The EC380E Hybrid will operate in Vogtareuth for around three years, before being moved to another site. The machine extracts around 1,000 tons daily, making it significantly faster and more flexible than the duty cycle crawler crane it replaces. After extraction, the gravel pit is backfilled and renaturalized. Rudolf explains: “We have another gravel pit with nine meters of overburden and have managed to remove the gravel here and bring in the overburden from the other site. The shorter boom is used for the overburden as this must be removed to extract the gravel at depth. With its combination of short and long boo, our excavator is certainly unique in Germany, if not Europe.” The excavator will be used for earthworks and demolition work as required, for which the short boom and suitable bucket will be the ideal combination. Thanks to another Beco modification, the counterweight can be lowered hydraulically so that the excavator, counterweight, and boom can be transported in three parts without needing a special permit. Customized solutions for complex needs For Volvo CE’s Martijn Donkersloot, Product Manager Special Application Solutions, the EC380E Hybrid developed for Gruber is a prime example of tailor-made customer concept in action. "Special Application Solutions (SAS) is the perfect partner for individualized construction machines designed to meet the unique operating conditions of our customers. In this case, a low transport weight to simplify loading, but also the combination of a long-reach and a normal digging solution available on one machine - precisely tailored to the customer's needs. Our SAS department at