Electric by design
The Sandvik electric train has received the 2026 Sigrid Göransson Sustainability Award for bringing lower emissions, reduced fuel use and higher productivity to crushing and screening.
The future of crushing and screening will be shaped by how machines work together. That thinking is behind the Sandvik electric train, a fully integrated crushing and screening solution that combines three electric-drive units: the UJ443E jaw crusher, the QH443E cone crusher and the QA452e double screen. Together, they create a connected system designed to run from a central power source, such as a grid connection or a single genset, with the option of individual onboard genset operation when needed.
At the 2026 Annual General Meeting, the team behind the solution received the Sigrid Göransson Sustainability Award, recognizing an innovation with clear environmental and operational impact.
For Sandvik Rock Processing, the award is a recognition of engineering that responds directly to customer needs. Crushing and screening has traditionally depended on diesel-powered engines and hydraulic drives, bringing higher fuel use, emissions and maintenance needs. The electric train changes that equation.
Fewer engines, lower complexity
“Traditionally the industry relies heavily on diesel-powered engines and hydraulic drives that bring much higher emissions, fuel usage and additional maintenance, especially around the engines,” says Stuart Smyth, Product Manager. “By removing the need for multiple engines and going with electric drives, we will lower both emissions and fuel usage, while delivering clear environmental benefits.”
The solution is practical. A site manager responsible for three engines also manages servicing, spare parts, downtime risk and production planning across those engines. Reducing that to one engine, or none when operating from the grid, simplifies the work and supports more efficient production.
The technology also delivers business value. The electric train offers efficiency gains and up to 30 percent higher productivity. It is designed to reduce total cost of ownership over the equipment lifetime, while supporting uptime through durable and reliable equipment.
“Our customers recognized the value immediately,” says Patrick Forrest, VP Product Management and R&D. “The products within our fully electric train reduce total cost of ownership over the equipment lifetime, and the equipment durability and reliability are widely recognized by customers.”
The award-winning team
The winning team from Rock Processing includes Stephen Beattie, John Paul Fee, Alex McMinn, Fergal McCarney, Stuart Smyth, Kevin Cullen and Patrick Forrest. The solution was developed through close collaboration across Sandvik teams and with external partners, including technology suppliers and customers.
That customer input was central to the design.
“Our customer-centric approach led us here: this engineless grid-powered solution was designed specifically to address the feedback and unique operational demands of our customers,” says Stephen Beattie, Senior Design Engineer.
Electrification is not new to the industry but bringing it into a fully connected crushing and screening train is a significant step. The solution shows how sustainability gains can be built into productivity, rather than treated as a separate ambition.
For Forrest, the award reflects both the result and the way the team worked to achieve it.
“It’s a real honor to receive the Sigrid Göransson Award,” he says. “The recognition reflects the close collaboration across our teams and with our customers, bringing three products together into a more sustainable solution with clear operational impact.”
Customer demand for safer, automated and more sustainable solutions is growing. The electric train gives Sandvik a strong platform for future development and a clear direction for the next generation of crushing and screening.