Felling and off-road transport are areas Volvo is now focusing on in order to offer a total machinery solution to the forest industry, according to Jukka Moisander, director, global forestry solutions at Volvo.
“On the felling side we have a lot of exciting developments going on. We have traditionally had quite a lot of tracked harvesters and we also have access to a unique levelling method and newly developed feller/bunchers,” Moisander said.
On the transport side the electric hybrid El-Forest is being developed, with Volvo as a part-owner of the project since 2007.
“The El-Forest is a good example of a development that Volvo is pleased to be involved in: it is innovative, an efficiency improvement and has a clear environmental benefit.”
The electric hybrid technology in the El-Forest is based on using a small diesel engine to run a generator, which supplies electricity via batteries to the electric motors located in each of the forwarder’s six wheels. The method saves on fuel.
“Hybrid technology is interesting and we have also been able to use it in development projects for Volvo wheel loaders and Volvo trucks,” Moisander said.
“The technology saves a lot of fuel in machines that are constantly accelerating and braking.”
So far the El-Forest has been exhibited as a concept machine and first pre-series machine but it will be shown as a production model at Elmia (the world’s biggest forestry fair 3-6 June, Jonkoping).
The Volvo stand will reflect the company’s complete solution for forest operations: machines for building forest tracks, felling, transport, and timber handling at sawmills and pulp mills and in bioenergy contexts.
