The Oosterweel link project, aimed at completing the R1 Antwerp ring road, has introduced the world’s first fully electric excavator, the Liebherr LBX 600 Unplugged, at the Canal Tunnels construction site, according to Jan De Nul's release.
The machine began operations last week, supporting the development of the Canal Tunnels, which, alongside the Scheldt Tunnel and Oosterweel junction, form the final components of the ring road.
The LBX 600 has a battery capacity of 588 kilowatt hours, sufficient for approximately four hours of operation. It can be recharged in five hours and can function while connected to the main energy grid, allowing continuous work. Compared to a diesel equivalent, the electric excavator eliminates 86,700 kilograms of CO2 and 105.56 kilograms of nitrogen oxides annually, based on 1,000 operating hours.
At the Canal Tunnels site, the LBX 600 is excavating sludge walls up to 20 meters deep. The process involves digging trenches, replacing soil with support slurry to maintain stability, installing reinforcement, and filling with concrete to create watertight walls. The slurry is recovered during the process.
The Oosterweel project remains on schedule, with the final tunnel element expected to be immersed by the end of 2025. The Canal Tunnels and Scheldt Tunnel are set to open for vehicular traffic in 2030, while the bicycle tunnel within the Scheldt Tunnel will be accessible from 2028. In Zeebrugge, eight tunnel elements for the Scheldt Tunnel are being prepared for transport to Antwerp.
Liebherr is a German-Swiss multinational equipment manufacturer founded in 1949 by Hans Liebherr. Headquartered in Bulle, Switzerland, the family-owned company specializes in construction machinery, cranes, mining equipment, and other industrial products.