Grand Paris demonstrates Volvo Group's ability to support world's largest projects

Demonstrating its unique ability to provide a number of solutions for customers on major infrastructure schemes worldwide, the business areas of the Volvo Group are active in the €100 billion Grand Paris project in France. Volvo Construction Equipment, along with sister companies Volvo Trucks, Volvo Penta, Volvo Buses and Volvo Financial Services, are bringing their products, services and expertise to help deliver Europe’s largest infrastructure project.

Grand Paris is the city’s most momentous infrastructure project for more than a century. The ongoing megaproject will involve the construction of 200km of new railways (90% underground) and 68 new train stations, as well as the deployment of 4,000 fully electric buses. This is essentially double Paris’s existing public transport network. The aim is to connect Paris’s suburbs with the city center and each other, facilitating ease of movement and economic growth for the entire metropolitan area. When completed it is expected to boost the French economy by creating well over 115,000 jobs.

Reliable and ready to work

But first, it needs to be built. Right in the heart of Europe’s most populated area. Across an area of 140 km². And Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) – the whole Volvo Group, in fact – are working to help deliver this ambitious project for the benefit of all. With a sizeable number of machines to be delivered to contractors working on Grand Paris, Volvo CE is serving as an important partner on this most ambitious infrastructure project.

Volvo’s core values of environment, quality and safety make the Volvo Group an ideal partner for projects such as Grand Paris. Durable, well-constructed machines serviced by a strong dealer network and with a host of in-built safety features guarantee maximum uptime. To demonstrate its commitment to the project, Volvo CE has reinforced its Grand Paris dealership, to meet the needs of this megaproject. By helping contractors to complete jobs safely, on-time and within budget, Volvo plays an important role in minimizing disruption to local residents and commuters.

Specializing in construction projects of this scale, Volvo CE’s larger general-purpose machines are already at work on the Grand Paris project. These are mostly general-purpose machines, including wheel loaders, crawler excavators, wheeled excavators and articulated haulers, while the remainder include pavers, compact excavators and compact wheel loaders.

Volvo Trucks, meanwhile, is providing smart transport solutions, Volvo Penta is supplying flexible power solutions, Volvo Buses will provide its hybrid and all-electric buses, while Volvo Financial Services is delivering tailored finance and insurance solutions.

Faster, cleaner, quieter

Since sustainability is one of the main ambitions of this gigantic transport scheme, it is essential that the construction work is carried out with as minimal environmental impact as possible. To this end, the Volvo Group has been involved as a strategic partner right from the start. Environmental care is one of Volvo’s core values and its machines are renowned for their low fuel consumption and low emissions.

“While the number of megacities in the world is increasing, we’re also seeing a restructuring of many large cities, so they can become cleaner and less congested,” says Niclas Wahlström, Vice President of Hub West within Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) Sales Region EMEA. “The Grand Paris project will deliver a more connected, less polluted and more environmentally-friendly city by the end of 2030.”

“We are well positioned to be a strategic partner for Grand Paris and are fully committed to helping deliver this project on-time and in a sustainable way,” Wahlström concludes.

Image 1: The existing Paris skyline.
Image 2: A Volvo EWR150E short-swing radius wheeled excavator gets to work on the streets of Paris.