Climate neutrality a key topic at bauma 2025

How can the construction industry be as climate neutral as possible in the future? bauma 2025, which will take place in Munich, Germany, April 7 to 13, seeks to answer this question as one of its key topics.

bauma 2025 will seek to illustrate how the construction industry can be more climate neutral in the future. (Photo: Messe München GmbH)

Held every three years, bauma is a global event for construction machinery, building material machines, mining equipment and construction vehicles and equipment. It has a total exhibition area of 614,000 sq. m., and in 2019, hosted 3,700 exhibitors from 63 countries and more than 620,000 visitors from 200+ countries.

Optimizing efficiency and utilization

Several hundred million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) are emitted from construction equipment globally each year. One approach to reduce emissions at the jobsite is to improve machine efficiency.

“As the international construction machinery industry has already been vigorously driving forward this development for decades – for example, through increasingly economical components – much has already been achieved in this regard,” said Joachim Schmid, managing director in the Construction Machinery and Building Material Plants division at the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA).

He went on to state that process optimization when using construction machinery currently promises a particularly strong impact on the path toward climate neutrality.

Other possibilities are offered through digitalization and automation. Digital solutions allow better planning of machine utilization, which helps to minimize idle times. Advanced machine-to-machine communication can ensure more efficient production chains, while smart sensors can monitor the machine status and thus detect increased energy consumption for technical reasons at an early stage.

“There is also significant potential for reducing CO2 in machine operation,” Schmid said.

In addition to appropriate training for machine operators, the industry has increasingly relied on digital assistance systems and (partial) automation of processes.

Alternative drives

Another important element of decarbonization is the development of alternative drive concepts. The construction industry is increasingly switching from traditional diesel engines to more environmentally friendly drives.

The global market for electric construction machinery is forecast to reach $105 billion dollars USD by 2042. (Photo: Messe München GmbH)

The Volvo Group, for example, announced that from 2040 it will only supply vehicles that are powered entirely without fossil fuels. By the same year, Strabag SE, one of Europe’s largest construction companies, aims to achieve climate neutrality along its entire value chain, which includes the operation of its construction fleet.

The widespread use of electric motors as a climate-friendly drive for construction vehicles and equipment is a trend that appears set to continue. According to a forecast by analysis and consulting firm IDTechEx, the global market for electric construction machinery will be worth $105 billion dollars USD by 2042.

However, there are potential limits to electrification.

“Battery-electric systems are still primarily suitable for compact machines. Their daily energy and power requirements can be covered by an electric motor and a moderately sized lithium-ion battery in conjunction with a well-defined charging strategy,” said Timo Feuerbach, technical expert for construction machinery and building material machines at the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA).

“For larger and heavier construction machinery, however, electric drives currently often still reach their technological and, due to the additional costs for electrification, economic limits.”

There are also challenges related to the power supply and charging infrastructure. The available grid capacity may not be sufficient for the high energy requirements of e-machines, especially at construction sites in rural or remote areas. Long charging phases also can limit operating times.

“The industry is currently looking for [practical] and affordable solutions to this – for example, by using mobile charging units and fast charging stations, or implementing intelligent energy management systems,” said Feuerbach.

Many companies are developing and testing hydrogen-powered construction machinery. (Photo: Messe München GmbH)

Alternative fuels

In addition to the use of electric motors, many companies and research institutes are focusing on developing and testing hydrogen-powered construction machinery.

For example, the Liebherr Components product segment presented prototypes of two hydrogen combustion engines at bauma 2022, and series production was announced for 2025.

The industry is also exploring potential applications for fuel cells. Take General Motors and the construction machinery manufacturer Komatsu, who are working together on a hydrogen fuel cell module for an electric dump truck. Komatsu has also developed a medium-sized hydraulic excavator with a hydrogen fuel cell system as a concept machine.

The use of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) also shows significant potential for the reduction of greenhouse gases. A life-cycle analysis commissioned by the Liebherr Group came to the conclusion that operating mobile cranes with HVO promises the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gases among currently available fuel types.

Other fuel alternatives that can contribute to decarbonizing construction sites include biodiesel, biogas and e-fuels.

But before alternative fuels can be utilized on a large scale, issues regarding their production and distribution need to be clarified, said Feuerbach. For instance, to really benefit the environment, he believes vegetable oils should ideally be produced only from plant and food waste and be widely available.

The situation is similar for hydrogen or e-fuels, he said, noting that, alongside producing sufficient quantities from carbon-neutral sources, another prerequisite is setting up an extensive distribution network.

Idea exchange essential

For the transformation to a climate-neutral construction site to succeed, in addition to new technological developments by equipment OEMs, and construction companies willing to innovate, politicians also need to set the right course. This includes creating a suitable legal framework, cutting red tape, providing research funding and establishing guidelines for developing a nationwide supply infrastructure with alternative energy sources.

bauma is the world’s largest trade fair, covering a total exhibition area of 614,000 sq. m. (Photo: Messe München GmbH)

Nicole Schmitt, bauma exhibition director, said bauma provides the ideal platform for all parties involved to exchange ideas.

She went on to add: “Because alternative drive concepts are currently so relevant for manufacturers and users, we are dedicating a separate key topic to this technology segment at bauma 2025.”

Learn more at https://bauma.de/en.