A total of 12 EC200D excavators from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) are hard at work in Sumatra, Indonesia, on the construction of a road for a paper mill that has received a sustainable forest management certification under the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
In 1993, before APRIL Group - Indonesia’s leading manufacturer in the paper and pulp industry - began construction of its first pulp and paper mill on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the sleepy and virtually inaccessible town of Pangkalan Kerinci consisted of just 200 dwellings. Today, it is not only home to one of the world’s largest and most efficient pulp mills, run by APRIL’s main pulp and paper subsidiary Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP), but also a thriving city of over 100,000 inhabitants, with a small airport, two ports and over 11,000 km of roads.
The latest addition to these roads is an 80-km stretch between Langgam site and Cirenti site, which started in August 2019. To ensure the task stays on the three-year construction schedule, Indonesian contractor PT Sumi Gita Jaya - a major player in infrastructure development in the province, as well as the oil and gas industry - added 12 Volvo EC200D excavators to its fleet, working alongside the company’s existing fleet of four Volvo SD110 soil compactors.
The IDR 40 billion project (approximately US$3 million) has now reached the construction stage, with the EC200D excavators primarily used for canal and trenching work, working nine hours per day for seven days per week. When completed, the road will provide access to the pulp and paper mill, which is capable of producing up to 2.8 mil t of pulp and 1.15 mil t of paper per year.
“The financial aspects were a key factor in selecting the EC200D, particularly as a result of their competitive price and fuel efficiency,” explained Mr Herland, director at PT Sumi Gita Jaya. “But it was also vital that the machines would be durable and deliver consistent high performance.”
As with all of Volvo CE’s new equipment, the EC200D also meets Indonesia’s new requirements for machinery to operate with diesel containing 50% biofuel - a year before the deadline. “Because they are so reliable, we haven’t needed to call on the support of PT Indotruck Utama, the dealer who supplied our machines,” said Mr Herland. “And our operators really appreciate the cabin comfort, as well as the impressive swing speed.”
What’s more, the 20-t EC200D benefits from the perfect balance of power and fuel economy provided by its Tier 3 Volvo D5E engine, which delivers 123 kW at 2,000 rpm. Ideally suited to general construction duties, the excavator is equipped with a 5.7 m boom, 2.9 m arm and 0.8 cu m bucket, delivering a maximum breakout force of 116 kN.
Established in 2000, PT Sumi Gita Jaya is based in Pekanbaru, Riau, and purchased its EC200D excavators from PT Indotruck Utama, one of Volvo CE’s local dealers in Indonesia.
