Ben Maclean, a 24-year-old entrepreneur and owner of Down to Earth Developments, is redefining land reclamation in the UK with a focus on sustainability. His company transforms degraded or unusable land into productive plots for residential and agricultural purposes, employing hybrid construction machinery to reduce environmental impact and improve efficiency.
Earlier this year, Maclean made headlines as the youngest customer to purchase Caterpillar’s D6XE electric drive dozer, a hybrid machine designed to enhance fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Pleased with its performance, he recently acquired a second unit to expand his fleet, which also includes CAT 323 hydraulic excavators. “It’s not just the electric drive using less fuel, but the all-round technology package you get with CAT machines that saves costs in quite a few ways,” Maclean explained. Advanced features like grade assist and payload technology further boost productivity on-site.
The D6XE electric drive dozers use a hybrid system combining battery power with an internal combustion engine (ICE) generator. This setup delivers improved torque and control, offering a 35% increase in fuel efficiency and a 20% reduction in carbon emissions compared to Caterpillar’s traditional D6T Tier 4 Final model.
“Sustainability is quite literally what they do,” said Ryan Trafford, manager at Finning, CAT’s UK distributor. “Customers like Ben are the first generation to have grown up understanding the importance of making responsible decisions, with sustainability being at the heart of that.”
Maclean exemplifies a new wave of young professionals embracing environmentally conscious practices in construction and agriculture. By integrating advanced, eco-friendly technologies into his operations, he is setting a benchmark for modern reclamation practices. His approach signals a promising future where sustainability and industry innovation work hand in hand to meet environmental challenges while ensuring operational success.
