Hitachi is to focus on dredging equipment citing the expansion of the Panama Canal and the need to accommodate bigger and larger ships driving the need to expand ports in many parts of the world. This has lead to demand for an increased number of excavators on pontoons in Europe and China. However, some of the large excavators used in marine environments share similarities with standard mining models, including having been designed to work non-stop in challenging environments and having similar technological features, including an on-board computer which monitors the performance of the engines and hydraulic system. In addition to its current range in this area, Hitachi is working on an electric model with a low-range voltage to cater to an environment of high oil prices and tighter emission regulations.

The company is also pushing the concept of customisation. An EX1900-6 excavator recently provided to the De Nul Group for work on dredging and marine construction works in Dubai contained a custom-modified front-end attachment to provide a maximum digging depth of 18 m as well as extra piping for a breaker attachment, and featured two arms, both of which could be used as breakers.