Volvo CE and Hitachi Energy partner on zero-emission construction sites
Volvo Construction Equipment and Hitachi Energy have signed a strategic collaboration agreement aimed at accelerating deployment of zero-emission construction sites through integrated electrification and energy management solutions.
The memorandum of understanding brings together Volvo CE’s electric construction machinery expertise with Hitachi Energy’s capabilities in power infrastructure, charging systems and energy management, targeting one of the construction industry’s most significant decarbonisation challenges.
The companies said the partnership will focus on developing integrated site-level solutions rather than standalone technologies, reflecting growing industry demand for fully operational zero-emission construction environments that combine electric machinery with reliable clean power supply and energy optimisation systems.
Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly assess technical and commercial approaches for supporting electric construction and manufacturing operations, including charging infrastructure, power distribution, operational integration and energy management.
The collaboration also covers potential development of new business models, aftermarket services and go-to-market strategies designed to simplify adoption of electric construction equipment for contractors and infrastructure developers.
Volvo CE President Melker Jernberg said strategic partnerships are becoming increasingly important in accelerating the transition towards emission-free construction operations by reducing complexity for customers and improving confidence in large-scale deployment.
Hitachi Energy’s CEO of Grid Integration, Niklas Persson, said electrification is emerging as a critical component of decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as construction, where system integration and operational reliability are becoming as important as the equipment itself.
The companies noted that construction firms are facing mounting pressure from regulators, investors and customers to reduce emissions while maintaining productivity, particularly as environmental performance requirements become more embedded in infrastructure planning and permitting processes.
While the initial focus will centre on practical plug-and-play deployment models, the collaboration could later expand into more advanced areas including connected machinery, digital integration and wider service offerings.
Industry observers increasingly view integrated electrified construction ecosystems as a major growth area within the broader energy transition, particularly as battery-electric heavy equipment becomes commercially viable across a wider range of applications.
Volvo CE and Hitachi Energy said the collaboration is intended to help customers accelerate adoption of zero-emission construction technologies while overcoming operational barriers linked to charging, grid access and site-level energy coordination.
