NGI Introduces New Fully Electric Drilling Rig
GMe100 is the name, and it is designed to perform all geotechnical drilling methods, including core sampling of bedrock.
Testing out their new machine. ( NGI)
Silje Grimstad takes us to the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute's (NGI) test site in Onsøy. The test site is one of six part of the research infrastructure Norwegian Geo-Test Sites (NGTS). These are used as field laboratories to test and verify new, innovative methods for ground investigations and testing procedures.
Silje Grimstad leads NGI's field investigation department and has been central to the ordering process of the fully electric GMe100.
"Finally, we can use the fully electric drilling rig. GMe100 is the first of its kind from the Finnish manufacturer Geomachine. Ordering something they hadn't made before gave us a unique opportunity to influence the development of the rig," says Silje.
She explains that it was primarily about ensuring it was not inferior to its fossil-fueled predecessors.
Functional and User-Friendly
The drilling rig has the same functionalities and user-friendliness as equivalent diesel rigs. The noise level is also significantly reduced, which is particularly beneficial in urban areas.
"This fully electric drilling rig can perform all geotechnical drilling methods, including total soundings, pressure soundings with pore pressure registration (CPTu), sampling, installation of pore pressure gauges, and setting down casing pipes. The drilling rig can also take core samples, and the high tower allows 3-meter rods, making both core drilling and casing pipe installation much more efficient than with other geo rigs."
In addition to being powered by the rig's fixed batteries, NGI has a battery pack mounted on a trailer.
"The battery pack can supply the drilling rig with extra capacity, and from May 2025, the 'power pack' will also be able to charge the drilling rig. This will make the entire drilling operation more seamless and significantly minimize the number of relocations. This gives GMe100 a significant advantage compared to other electric drilling rigs," adds Silje.
Aiming to Reduce Climate Footprint
GMe100 is the second fully electric drilling rig in Norway. Kristoffer Skau, the area director for Geodata and technology at NGI, explains that the acquisition of the rig will reduce the climate footprint of ground investigations.
"The world needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly, and we must ensure that emissions are limited from our operations. There is an increased focus on emissions in the construction industry, and we see explicit award criteria related to environmental requirements in public procurements. Now we are making zero-emission services available for the Norwegian market in ground investigations," says Kristoffer Skau.
