WHEN work is being done off the grid in remote locations, it can be hard to keep construction equipment fuelled up – regardless of whether that fuel is liquid or electric. But now, the new, first-of-its-kind BioCharger from Air Burners is about to make that job a whole lot easier.

A collaborative effort between Volvo CE, Rolls-Royce, and Air Burners, the BioCharger uses “air curtain technology” to burn wood and waste in a closed-loop system. The resulting heat is converted into electric energy and stored in a connected Battery Storage Module, or BSM. That energy can then be used to charge battery-electric vehicles, construction equipment, and portable power tools throughout the job site.

Especially when that job site is deep in the woods.

“While electric machinery becomes increasingly popular in the fight against climate change, when it comes to forest management, we must have practical solutions for charging electric machinery away from traditional power sources,” said Brian O’Connor, president of Air Burners. “The Air Burners BioCharger provides that solution … in an economical and environmentally conscious way.”

The BioCharger is currently in a pilot testing phase across North America with a prototype of the 23-tonne Volvo EC230 Crawler electric excavator ahead of that vehicle’s commercial launch later this year.