Hiboo helps NGE become the first construction group to measure the actual CO2 emissions of its plant and machinery fleet

This is the first time that any major construction company will have tested this tool developed out of the Hiboo single, multi-manufacturer, seamless data platform. It will enable NGE to collect 100% of the data transmitted by its plant and machinery worldwide… that’s more than 2,600 separate pieces of machinery, including 1,500 items of production plant.

NGE has asked all its equipment suppliers worldwide (manufacturers, dealerships, rental companies, etc.) to give Hiboo access to the data generated by all the plant and machinery in its fleet. Hiboo is a French specialist in equipment-generated data processing, and will provide NGE with data covering the full range of key operating indicators (usage, engine idling rate, fuel used, faults, etc.) required to optimise productivity worksite-by-worksite and region-by-region.

Already well ahead of the industry curve in terms of collecting and measuring data on engine idling hours (see inset below) using the Hiboo platform, NGE is now taking its commitment to a new level. Another important development is that BM Rent and ENCO have become the first national rental companies to support this innovation in fleet management by providing access to the data generated by plant and machinery rented to NGE.

From now on, Hiboo will be able to measure the actual CO2 emissions of its production plant and machinery fleet in real time on the basis of parameters including equipment category, geographic area and/or worksite, instead of conducting retrospective assessments based on fuel costs.

The ultimate aim for NGE is to pinpoint its most emissive production worksites so that it can prioritise them as the focus for its initiatives. The experience gained will then be used to generate feedback and share good practices.

The new system will also enable fuel savings to be measured for each piece of plant and machinery, as well as assessing the progress made by drivers and operators as a result of eco-driving training provided by the company.

As part of continuing to drive innovation in CO2 emissions reduction, NGE also intends to fit some of the tyres used on its plant and machinery with telemetry systems developed by GCS, which specialises in tyres for civil engineering applications. The data generated will then be processed and analysed by Hiboo. Ensuring that tyres are used in accordance with recommended pressures and temperatures extends their life, at the same time as reducing fuel consumption, and therefore CO2 emissions.

Engine idling rates

The Engine idling rates have a direct impact on fuel consumption (and therefore CO2 emissions), and – of course – equipment depreciation. The French National Federation of Public Works Contractors (Fédération Nationale des Travaux Publics or FNTP) publishes the average idling rate of construction plant and machinery in France annually; in 2021, that figure was 35%. Taking the example of a machine with an average working life of 10,000 hours, the NGE Group ambition is to eliminate that 35% figure, thereby saving 3,500 operating hours and
reducing costs by 35%. Hiboo gives NGE the opportunity to analyse its plant and machinery engine idling rates on a daily basis. Every month, the Group internally publishes engine idling rates broken down by region as the basis for taking direct action to reduce them further. All regional plant and machinery managers are assessed on the basis of this indicator. Since the reporting system was introduced, the overall engine idling rate at NGE has fallen from 32% to 27%.

“You can’t improve something until you measure it. So we’ve been committed for several years now to a very realistic and real-world approach to this issue. The ability to measure the actual CO2 emissions for all the plant and machinery we operate is a major step forward, because it gives us the opportunity to work on real-life scenarios that will eventually benefit all our worksites. It also aligns our actions directly with the expectations of our customers, who want to see concrete evidence of our environmental footprint reductions. This partnership with Hiboo is an integral part of the NGE strategy to reduce GHG emissions by 4% year-on-year”.

Thierry Robert
Chief Plant & Machinery Officer at NGE Group

“Measuring construction worksite CO2 emissions is a key stepping stone to decarbonising the construction industry as a whole. So we’re proud that Hiboo technology has been supporting NGE in achieving its environmental goals for a number of years now”.

Clément Bénard
CEO at Hiboo