Basel tests CO2-free operation of construction sites
The canton of Basel-Stadt is trialling the potential for CO2-free construction site operations. In a pilot project with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the planning office EcoForce GmbH, a waste collection centre is being built with electric construction machinery. The emissions produced are compared with those of a conventional construction site.
The Department of Construction and Transport of the Canton of Basel-Stadt is analysing possibilities for the electrification of construction sites on the basis of a pilot test. In cooperation with Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the planning office EcoForce GmbH from Schötz LU and partners, the department is working on the basis for the future use of electric construction machinery, according to a joint press release.
As a first step, an above-ground waste collection point for glass, tinplate, aluminium and batteries in Spalenring will be replaced by an underground one in Hegenheimerstrasse from the end of August until the end of October 2025. If collection containers are located below ground level, they are “more user- and disabled-friendly, cause less noise, blend in better with the cityscape and need to be emptied less frequently thanks to their larger capacity”.
According to the information provided, the construction of a recycling collection centre with electric construction machinery serves as a test environment. “From the excavator to the wheel loader to the dumper”, the machines run purely electrically. The aim is for the Department of Construction and Transport to gain insights into the technical and organisational requirements for the electrification of future civil engineering projects.
In order to draw a comparison with conventional construction sites, a second underground recycling collection point at St. Johann-Platz is being built with diesel machines. The CO2 emissions, electricity requirements and noise emissions as well as infrastructure requirements are of interest. Step two involves working with regional construction companies to draw up a concept for the necessary adjustments when converting to electric operation. According to the cantonal climate protection strategy, the operation of construction sites in the canton of Basel-Stadt should be CO2-neutral from 2037.