Laing O’Rourke has announced the acquisition of a series of electric plant and vehicles bound for local infrastructure projects in Australia.
This is the first investment of its type for the Australian construction sector and is part of the company’s efforts to reduce scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions and reach operational net zero by 2030.
Australia’s first two 250 tonne electric crawler cranes will arrive in early 2023.
Managed by Select Plant Australia, a subsidiary of Laing O’Rourke, the two Liebherr LR 1250.1 fully electric lattice jib crawler cranes produce zero emissions while offering the same performance as their diesel-powered counterparts.
In another first for the Australian construction sector, Laing O’Rourke will add a fleet of ten 2.5-tonne electric telehandlers to Select’s growing range of electric plant and equipment.
These acquisitions will add to the 8.5 tonne SEA electric trucks, 3 tonne electric teletruks, electric plate compactors, lighting solutions and battery energy storage systems which are already in use by Select on Australian construction sites.
Rebecca Hanley, Managing Director – Australia at Laing O’Rourke, said the purchase of pioneering electric plant was evidence of the company’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and sector leadership.
She said: “Electric plant and equipment are a game changer for our sector. Globally, we set an ambitious target to achieve operational net zero by 2030, which relates to scope 1 and 2 emissions, and be a net zero company before 2050, which relates to scope 3 emissions.
“Investment in this type of technology, along with our solar powered site compounds and other initiatives means we can both deliver certainty for our clients and meet our commitments to the world around us.
“Laing O’Rourke’s mission is to be the recognised leader for innovation and excellence in the construction industry, and this is just another example of how we are striving to fulfil that goal and support change in the sector.”
Read next: UK’s first zero emission crawler cranes get to work at HS2
Are you a building professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.
