AGCO, the parent company of Fendt, Valtra and Massey Ferguson, has announced the opening of a clean energy lab at its engine production facility located in Linnavuori plant in Nokia, Finland.

The lab, which is part of a €70m investment, will support the development and testing of innovative and sustainable battery and powertrain solutions for farm machinery.

The Linnavuori team of scientists and engineers are developing next-generation engines powered by low- or zero-carbon electricity and alternative fuels, such as hydrogen and methanol, that will help minimise global agricultural emissions.

It is accepted that agriculture has lagged behind the automotive industry in the transition to hybrid and full electric vehicles due to the capacity of existing battery technologies, which in turn restricts the size of electric farm machinery.

However, AGCO has said it is working to change that perception.

Heavy investment

“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 AGCO senior vice-president of engineering Kelvin Bennett.

“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."

Developing the next generation of zero-emissions machines is part of the group's sustainability strategy, in which its ambition is to decarbonise its own product portfolio along, with the involvement of its suppliers.

In addition to the clean energy laboratory, the Linnavuori plant features new production facilities for both cylinder heads and continuously variable transmission components, expansions to the paint shop and testing facilities for remanufactured engines, and a training and visitor centre.

In total, the new buildings cover an expanse of 11,000 square metres (approximately 118,400 square feet), with some phases of the project opening this year and others set to be operational in 2025.