Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is introducing electric forklifts and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) at its Changwon facility in South Korea as part of the company’s commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.

The excavator production site has a fleet of 148 forklifts, including 93 electric forklifts, according to Daesung Chon, head of material management at the Changwon factory. Most of the fleet are Clark models.

The site, which also manufactures demolition equipment and pipelayers, has 28 AGVs supplied by Korean equipment-maker Won.

The move towards the electrification of the facility’s materials handling fleet is part of Volvo CE’s global science-based targets commitment, which includes an interim goal of cutting emissions in half across its operations by 2030.

A significant step in this process was the installation of LS Electric solar panels at the Changwon site, which will result in a reduction of about 21,000 T of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

Volvo CE's Chon says: “Replacing one diesel forklift with an electric one can reduce approximately 0.8 T of CO2 a year. 

“At the Changwon plant, we are currently replacing two units of diesel forklifts with electric ones every year.”

Volvo CE Korea managing director Andrew Knight says: “We are dedicated to sustainable growth and establishing pioneering partnerships to help accelerate that growth.”