GeesinkNorba Nordic is a leading supplier of a wide range of waste collection equipment across the Nordic region and currently supplies a large percentage of the waste collection vehicles operated by public and private contractors across Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. The company has recently supplied two GPM Mini LI-On Power units to Bergen and Stavanger to inter-municipal companies BIR Transport AS, which collects and manages waste in the city of Bergen, and to RenovasjonenIKS, which collects and manages waste across the city of Stavanger.
The two units are of 7m³ capacities and are the 0720 model both fitted with GeesinkNorba’s GCB series comb type bin lifting equipment. This can lift containers from 120-1100 liters capacities DIN 30740. Both units have dynamic bin weighing systems fitted to them. They are fitted with GeesinkNorba’s renowned ‘Smartpack’ system which uses the minimum amount of power from the vehicle’s ePTO to operate the bin lift and compaction equipment. The chassis upon which these two units have been mounted are DAF LF.220 4×2 12 tonne chassis, converted by EMOSS Mobile Systems BV from conventional Euro 6 diesel power to battery power. The vehicles don’t need a transmission like a conventional diesel-powered truck.
BIR Transport AS is an inter-municipal company which is publicly owned and collects waste across Bergen, the second largest city in Norway. The organization is made up of nine municipalities with Bergen having 80% share, and the remaining 20% being split amongst the remaining eight municipalities. Waste is collected from a total population of three hundred and sixty-one thousand people. Two hundred and seventy-eight thousand live in Bergen, with the remaining ninety-four thousand living in the other eight municipalities served. These statistics are based on 2017 figures. BIR Transport operates a fleet of fifty-seven waste collection vehicles and has one hundred and twenty employees which also includes those employed in the workshop and garage.
Mr John Gaule Kvinge, CEO of BIR Transport’s fleet operations, explained that the reason BIR decided to buy the hybrid/electric RCV unit was, “to meet the region’s environmental credentials and targets set for low emission vehicles working in Bergen city center by 2020.” He said that the unit had been in operation since September 2018 and he was very happy with its performance. Testimony to this is the additional orders for the supply of two large waste transportation vehicles by GeesinkNorba Nordic, one of which is a Gergen hook loader system carrying a HIAB truck mounted crane fitted onto a demountable ‘A’ frame. This unit will be mounted onto a DAF CF 6×2 rear steer 26 ton chassis. The other unit is a Geesinknorba N4 Series 22m3 22H25 unit with the L200 bin lifting equipment and mounted onto a DAF CF 6×2 rear steer 26 ton chassis. Both chassis have been converted by EMOSS Mobile Systems BV to battery power and will be fitted with Allison’s 3000 Series automatic transmission.
Finally, another 7m³ Geesinknorba GPM Mini LI-On Power unit, complete with a GCB series comb type bin lift and dynamic bin weighing equipment, will also be supplied. This will be mounted onto a DAF LF.220 4×2 12 tonne chassis and also converted by EMOSS to battery power. This will have a 150KWH battery, far more powerful than the existing unit which has a battery output of 120KWH. The chassis battery pack on the current vehicle is recharged overnight ready for operation the following day.
The GPM Mini unit collects a wide variety of waste fractions: 80 percent is residual waste, while the remaining 20% is paper and plastic recyclables. Door to door collections are provided, emptying containers from 120, 240 and 400 liter two-wheeled to 660 liters four-wheeled. The waste collection service starts at 6am and the vehicles and crews work to midday. The new unit collects one/two loads a day and discharges the residual waste fraction at BIR’S 230,000 ton combined heat and power waste-to-energy plant. The paper and plastic recyclables are delivered to a sorting facility for baling and shipment to reprocessors.
Mr. John Gaule Kvinge went onto say,”BIR went out to tender to the market to evaluate the best value products. Geesinknorba Nordic offered this with the GPM Mini hybrid/EMOSS battery-powered chassis combination”. He said that he only wanted to deal with one body supplier and had been purchasing a wide range of conventional G and N series waste collection vehicles from GeesinkNorba Nordic for five years with 75% of the fleet now made up of either the G or N series types. This reaffirmed BIR’S confidence in buying this hybrid/battery powered unit from Geesinknorba Nordic and EMOSS which is leading to zero diesel and maintenance costs.
Renovasjonen IKS is an inter-municipal company which is publicly owned and collects waste across Stavanger. The organization is made up of six municipalities, serving a total population of two hundred and fifty thousand people. Mr. Kjel Age Nygard, Operations Manager for Renovasjonen, explained the reason for buying the GPM Mini hybrid/EMOSS battery powered unit was, “the short traveling distances, the compactness of the city where it will be working, as well as reduced noise and air pollution levels. This is also supported by Renovasjonen’s stakeholders wanting 100% low emission vehicles working in Stavanger.” Renovasjonen went on the market via open tender and the GeesinkNorba proposal was deemed to be the best and most sustainable in meeting Stavanger’s environmental goals.
The unit has a 130KWH battery pack and collects two waste fractions, either residual or organic biowaste. These collections are made door to door, emptying containers from 120 to 660 liters capacities. The collection service is from 6am to midday. The residual waste fraction is delivered to Stavanger’s dirty MRF/waste-to-energy plant while the organic bio waste fraction goes to a composting plant. Mr. Kjel Age Nygard said, “I am very pleased with the vehicles’ performance to date and want to gain further operating experience from the vehicle before placing additional orders for more units. I am confident buying waste collection vehicles from GeesinkNorba Nordic because the after sales and back up service is first class”. He went onto say that he wanted to evaluate EMOSS’S after sales and back up service with the new vehicle before placing further chassis orders with them. His conclusions were that the benefit of the battery chassis was recharging took three hours at night so he had confidence that the vehicle has a full battery capacity to complete the next day’s work.
The vehicle may also be used on an evening waste collection shift in the future because of its low noise and air emissions. Finally, he said, “The vehicle has been in operation for three months now and overall is pleased.” I had the experience of driving the vehicle and I found the drive very quiet and smooth. The only contributable noise was the crosswind when driving near the sea. The vehicle also had plenty of power when pulling away at junctions and islands.
In conclusion, BIR Transport AS of Bergen and Renovasjonen IKS of Stavanger are meeting their long term environmental goals by operating the GeesinkNorbaLI-On Power and EMOSS battery powered waste collection vehicles. With these vehicles there will be a sustainable future for inter-municipal companies with the guarantee of a first class after sales and parts service from GeesinkNorba Nordic.