Kleemann outlines electric mobile crushing requirements

Mobile crushing and screening plants powered by electricity rather than diesel fuel are particularly environmentally friendly because they do not emit carbon dioxide on site. 

Electric plants are also beneficial to the owner in terms of cost-effectiveness in the long term. Sustainable, low-emission solutions are in demand, and companies can position themselves on the market as future-oriented providers with electrically operated mobile plants. 

Although initial investment costs are higher, they are quickly amortized due to the fuel savings. A sample calculation for the German market shows this is already possible after about six years. 

“Our mobile plant train in the sample calculation consists of a jaw crusher Mobicat MC 120 Pro, cone crusher Mobicone MCO 110 Pro as a secondary crusher and a downstream screen machine Mobiscreen MSC 953 EVO. The plant train consumes an average of approximately 77 litres of diesel per operating hour. In the electrified version, it has an average current consumption of 302 kW per operating hour. The maximum power requirement is 542 kilowatts,” said Tobias Böckle, Head of Product Management at Kleemann

“The energy requirement must first be provided by the infrastructure and is ideally met by electricity from renewable sources. A sustainable and quickly cost-efficient solution is to use an in-house photovoltaic power supply.” 

Infrastructure design

A suitable advanced design of the infrastructure is important for efficient use of electric crushing and screening equipment. Tobias Möß from Wolff & Müller GmbH explained the actual energy requirements of the plant and the demand of all already existing consumers should be determined. 

“How much power is needed on the entire company premises? The load profile must also be taken into account. When are the power peaks, when are the times with lower consumption? The individual load profile can be obtained from the energy supplier or network operator,” Möß said.

Many companies already have a transformer on their premises that adapts to the required voltage and provides low voltage for systems. 

Once the required power has been calculated, it is necessary to check whether the available transformer is sufficiently dimensioned. The amount of power that can be drawn from the transformer is indicated on the type plate.

It is also important to consider where the main distribution is located on site and where the system will be used. 

Good planning is a precondition for efficient operation. For example, the electrical energy required to supply the plant is not transformed to low voltage directly at the transfer station but is instead routed over the medium-voltage level across the site to the plant. The cable cross-section can be much thinner, making the cable easier to handle and significantly cheaper. 

At the mobile plant, a second transformer converts the current into low voltage to operate the mobile crushing or screening plant. The aim here is to develop a suitable individual concept.

Rapid ROI 

With a solid foundation, the investment costs are amortized after around six years – or even sooner, depending on how energy is provided. 

From this point on, all-electric operation will save considerable operating costs year after year.

As an example, with the diesel-powered plant, there is no need for additional investment in the infrastructure apart from the fuel costs. 

The cost of diesel fuel varies greatly depending on the country and region, so any savings depend on the difference in price between electricity and diesel.

Electrically operated crushing and screening plants are initially more expensive due to their special equipment, plus the cost of cables and a transformer.

All-electric operation incurs initial investment costs, but these pay off for the operating company in the medium term. 

On closer inspection, the one-time costs quickly turn into a worthwhile investment. In many cases, climate protection regulations lead to stricter requirements. The electric drive is a decisive competitive advantage, for example when local authorities demand emission-free operation in city centres. 

“Especially in combination with your own PV system, electrical operation becomes a climate-friendly, cost-efficient concept in just a few years, which not only provides the operating company with financial benefits, but also reflects the company’s efforts to achieve greater sustainability,” Böckle said.

Environmentally friendly operation is also possible at locations where electricity cannot be supplied due to a lack of infrastructure. The electric version of Kleemann plants can also be operated autonomously with sustainable HVO diesel.