Construction Equipment Asia

Volvo EC210D helps stabilize Java river damaged by Mount Merapi volcano

Close to a decade after one of the most volatile volcano eruptions hit the Central Java region, a Volvo excavator is helping to return the Pabelan River back to its original form.

In 2010, one of Indonesia’s most dangerous volcanos—Mount Merapi in Central Java—violently erupted over the course of two months, engulfing nearby areas in ash, mud and debris.

Described as one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the region since the 1870s, the volcano dumped mass amounts of cold lava that flooded and damaged rivers including the nearby Pabelan River in Muntilan, Magelang. Now close to a decade later, a local mining quarry company is using a EC210D crawler excavator from Volvo Construction Equipment to mine for rocks and to help stabilize the river.

“We purchased a Volvo EC210D because it is fuel efficient and the engine power is strong enough to deal with the challenges of working with very large stone material and rapidly changing weather,” said H.N. Year, owner of CV Sumber Jaya Sakti, a mining quarry company based in Magelang, Central Java.

On site since September 2017, the versatile EC210D is helping move between 280 m3 to 300 m3 of sand and rocks per day at the Pabelan River project. The crawler excavator joins a fleet of excavators and wheel loaders, and is expected to remain on site for one year working an average of 22-hours per day, as part of the two-year river stabilization project.

“Volvo machines are high performers that are durable, reliable and provide strong power in this tough and challenging environment,” Year said. “We selected the EC210D for its four-cylinder engine and the D-series cab, but the crawler excavator’s high torsion with low RPM is also making it a hit on the job site.”

Designed to increase productivity and reduce fuel consumption, the robust crawler excavator features a maximum slew speed of 12.3 r/min, maximum slew torque of 76.7 kNm, maximum bucket capacity of 1.22 m3, and maximum operating weight of 22,800 kg. Equipped with a Volvo D5E engine, the four cylinder, vertical, electronic-controlled high pressure fuel injectors, helps the EC210D provides superior performance.

“We invested in the EC210D because of the machine’s strength, durability and tough engines compared to other brands,” Year said.

CV Sumber Jaya Sakti purchased the EC210D from PT Indotruck Utama, a Jakarta-based Volvo CE dealer since 2011. Established in 1988, PT Indotruck Utama is a subsidiary of Indomobil Group, one of the largest automotive distributor and manufacturer in Indonesia.