Volvo L120 Electric supports sustainable timber processing in New Zealand

Set on a 100-acre site outside Taupō, PermaPine is New Zealand’s largest manufacturer of timber posts and poles. The site runs 24/7, peeling up to 11,000 meters of timber per day and steaming and treating up to 11,000 cubic meters per month. Moving material efficiently across such a large site is critical to keeping production running smoothly.

At the same time, the business is on an ongoing journey to reduce its environmental footprint. Having already invested in renewable energy through a biomass boiler - which uses timber residues to produce the steam required to dry and fixate products - PermaPine saw the L120 Electric as the next step. The trial set out to determine whether electric equipment could meet both sustainability goals and the realities of industrial-scale operations.

Ian Potter, Operations Manager, PermaPine, said: “New Zealand is known for its outdoor environment, and we’ve got a great country. We need to ensure we’re protecting it. As a business, we’re always striving to improve, and sustainability is something we’re really working on. It’s part of a journey, not something you do once, but something you think about on an ongoing basis.”

A first-of-its-kind electric wheel loader trial

The L120 Electric trial marked a significant milestone, becoming the first fully electric wheel loader in New Zealand fitted with log forks and operating in a true 24/7 environment.

Rather than limiting the machine to light duties, PermaPine deliberately deployed the L120 Electric across multiple areas of the site to fully test its capability.

Potter continued: “I’ve been pleasantly surprised. The L120 Electric got passed around - it went over to our log yard, the treatment plant and did some work in the yard as well. The general feeling from everyone was positive. Moving around the site is effortless, no matter the ground conditions, it’s responsive, has good lifting capabilities, great visibility from the cab and is comfortable. It’s working well in our application, and we’re enjoying using it.”

Charging infrastructure to support electric operations

With support from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), New Zealand’s government agency dedicated to promoting energy efficiency, conservation and the use of renewable energy, PermaPine installed the charging infrastructure required to support the L120 Electric. The investment also positions the site to expand its electric fleet in the future.

Leasing the Volvo L120 Electric

Further support has been provided by local Volvo CE dealer, TDX Limited, through whom the L120 Electric has been leased.

Potter explains: “As it was a new piece of equipment, the capital cost was high. Leasing supported where we wanted to be in terms of our cash flow, and it also means the risk is shared. We’re really happy with the support from TDX and their help getting the L120 Electric onto our site.”

A long-standing Volvo CE partner

PermaPine is a long-standing Volvo CE customer, operating a fleet of 20 Volvo wheel loaders and three Volvo excavators. Volvo machines are well regarded by operators for their comfort and suspension, an important factor on a large site when long distances are travelled every day.

Ewen Satherley, Territory Sales Manager/Forestry Specialist at TDX Limited, said: “This has been an interesting and enjoyable journey with PermaPine. They were keen to get the L120 Electric on site to help support their sustainability efforts. They’ve been great to deal with, the feedback has been fantastic and everything is working well.”