Alp Transit got Energya!

A particular location for Energya, the first plug-in hybrid truck mixer created by Cifa. To see it at work we went to Switzerland, and more precisely to Sigirino (canton of Ticino) in the Ceneri base tunnel, a part of the New Transalpine Railway (NFTA), that, after that of San Gottardo, represents in Switzerland the second biggest project for realization of a tunnel. Like a movie star, Energya let people wait that afternoon.

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With patience, we waited for it in one of the many ramifications of the tunnel, and then went along with it up to the plant where, with comings and goings of trucks and mixers, it waited its turn to reach the loading point. Then, for 5 km, the drum mixed concrete equipped with fire fighting fibres up to the pumping zone, where it unloaded material into the hopper of a stationary pump that, through pipes, pushed it to the formworks for spaying walls and top. Mr. Andrea Bellucci, responsible for batching plants of Consorzio Condotte Cossi, in charge of the tunnel excavation and concrete laying, “very satisfied with this truck mixer”, tells us that Energya “can be summed up in 3 main advantages: less consumptions, less pollution and less noise”. We actually notice that using electricity only during distribution of concrete, it does not give off harmful emissions and it works silently, complying with anti pollution regulations.

How is all of this possible? Energya series with the two models E8 and, like in this case, E9 mounted on a 4 axles Man chassis, with 9 m3 plant capacity, is characterized by a new system of energy supply on board, with a lithium battery that acts on an electric induction engine directly fitted on the rotating drum that is so moved, avoiding the traditional hydraulic device that moves drums of traditional truck mixers. Therefore, advantages of traditional technology combined with electrical technology. Plug-in hybrid means that batteries are rechargeable both from the electricity grid of the construction site when the machine is not working, and from an onboard power unit during transfer of the machine: a special system called KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), allows to recover energy during deceleration, used as “green stock” during pumping to avoid polluting the air (zero emissions) and work without annoying noises. “This new technology, Bellucci underlines, is an important step forward. Indeed for traditional truck mixers and other machines, regulations concerning smokes emissions are very strict and controls have regular frequency”. 

Positive opinion also by Domenico Allegri, operator of Consorzio Condotte Cossi, who has been driving Energya for about 1 month now. He specifically high lightens effectiveness of the automatic drive and absence of noise during pumping, essential for those who work close to the machine. Bellucci ends, reminding that “Consorzio Condotte Cossi has always been customer of Cifa, a brand of quality and reliability, and the vehicle fleet, in this kind of tunnel jobs, is constantly put to a hard test”.

Maintenance of machines is managed directly by the company, that only purchases spare parts from the parent company, while concerning pipes for mixer pumps it turns to Valme. Promotion of this machine therefore goes on so that potential customers can see firsthand its advantages and innovations. In this underground construction site Energya will be put to a hard test, but since its arrival, it’s letting its light shine.