AGCO, a global leader in agricultural machinery and precision ag technology, along with its subsidiary AGCO Power, announced the opening of their first clean energy laboratory. This lab is part of a 70-million-euro investment (approximately $77 million) in the Linnavuori plant in Nokia and aims to develop and test innovative, sustainable battery and powertrain solutions for farm machinery.
The Linnavuori team of scientists and engineers is working on next-generation engines powered by low- or zero-carbon electricity and alternative fuels such as hydrogen and methanol to minimize global agricultural emissions.
While the number of hybrid and electric vehicles on roads has grown exponentially in the 21st century, the adoption of alternative power for off-road and farm machinery has lagged. The capacity of existing battery technologies limits the size of fully electric farm machinery, but the AGCO Power lab aims to change that.
“We are investing heavily in the research and development of multiple lower-carbon technologies, such as the electrification of off-road machines and hybrids,” said Kelvin Bennett, AGCO’s Senior Vice President of Engineering. “It is exciting to know those investments will start showing tangible results this summer when AGCO’s first fully electric tractor, the Fendt e100 V Vario, enters production in 2024.”
In addition to reducing emissions from off-road machines, AGCO is also committed to cutting emissions in its own operations. The company has set objectives to reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 55% by 2033 and 90% by 2050.
Developing next-generation zero- and low-emission machines is a key part of AGCO’s sustainability ambition, which aims to reduce its Scope 3 emissions. Key initiatives include decarbonizing its product portfolio, engaging suppliers to decrease their emissions, supporting farmers’ transition to sustainable solutions, and working with industry associations on renewable and low-carbon fuels in agricultural machinery.
The Linnavuori plant also features new production facilities for cylinder heads and continuously variable transmission components, expansions to the paint shop and testing facilities for remanufactured engines, and a training and visitor center. The new buildings cover an expanse of 11,000 square meters (approximately 118,400 square feet), with some phases of the project opening this year and others set to be operational in 2025.
