Metso Insights Blog Aggregates blog Hybrid aggregate screeners and their benefits in brief
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Aug 13, 2020

A brief look at hybrid aggregate screeners and their benefits

Jarmo Vuorenpää
Jarmo Vuorenpää
Director, New Lokotrack Offering
Electricity and diesel: The two energy sources as a duo are getting topical for aggregate producers and equipment manufacturers alike. In some mobile screeners, like most Lokotrack® ST models, you can have both electricity and diesel as your power source options. What does it mean to have a hybrid screener and what benefits are there?
ST4.10 mobile screen with e-Power electric drive
ST4.10 mobile screen with e-Power electric drive

Hybrid screening equipment has a set of electric motors and pumps located inside the Lokotrack ST chassis that can be used for running the screen and other process functions. For Lokotrack STs the feature is optional, and we call it “e-Power”. Using one doesn’t really differ much from a diesel-driven screen. The main thing is that there is a selector switch so you can choose between diesel and electricity for the screening process. Tracking of the unit is always performed with diesel.

Traditionally Central Europe and Nordic countries have had most demand for electrically operated mobile screens. However, lately there’s been increased demand also from other areas such as the USA and South Africa, to mention but a few. We provide most of our Lokotrack STs with e-Power as a standard option.

Benefits of using a hybrid screener are especially interesting for those working in regulated areas

Even though there isn’t much of a difference in the actual usage of the screen, choosing hybrid or e-Power screen has its advantages. Typically, the price of electricity is lower compared to diesel, so there is a chance for savings in operating costs.

Another benefit is interesting especially for those who operate in urban areas or otherwise in circumstances that are regulated in terms of noise and emissions.

Depending on how the electricity is generated, the hybrid solution can reduce both and help meet the requirements of a certain contract. Reduced emissions also have a positive impact on the working environment for the personnel on the site.

In cases where there is a combination of several diesel-electric units operating together, it could be possible to run an e-Power ST from another Lokotrack crusher unit. This means replacing two diesel engines with one, further reducing the operating costs.

As the savings come mainly from attaching the unit to the electric grid or another Lokotrack with a cable, there is obviously some reduction in the mobility and independence of the Lokotrack ST. However, as the e-Power version has both diesel and electricity always available, the user can select which one to use at any time according to their needs.

Check the video
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Watch the Metso Lokotrack® ST4.10™ mobile screen in action.
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