Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Overhead power line sparking is one of the leading causes of California wildfires. Utility companies like PG&E are responding with an extensive program to bury power cables underground, and the Mastenbroek Bulldog self-propelled trenching machine is built for exactly that job.
The Bulldog digs trenches five feet deep and 10 to 14 inches wide while an integrated conveyor loads excavated material directly into a truck ahead of the machine. Crews lay conduit in the trench and thread the cables through, moving overhead lines safely underground.
Powering it all is a Volvo Penta D8 engine rated at 250 hp, delivering the fuel efficiency, low noise, and smooth operation this application demands. Volvo Penta and Mastenbroek have worked together for more than 10 years, sharing CAD data and 3D drawings so engine and machine are engineered as one system, with support through the entire lifetime of the machine.
Learn more about Volvo Penta industrial engines: volvopenta.com/industrial
Chapters:
00:00 Mastenbroek and the Bulldog trencher
00:35 Why California is burying power lines
00:56 How the machine digs and clears the trench
01:32 The Volvo Penta D8 engine
01:55 A 10-year engineering partnership
Overhead power line sparking is one of the leading causes of California wildfires. Utility companies like PG&E are responding with an extensive program to bury power cables underground, and the Mastenbroek Bulldog self-propelled trenching machine is built for exactly that job.
The Bulldog digs trenches five feet deep and 10 to 14 inches wide while an integrated conveyor loads excavated material directly into a truck ahead of the machine. Crews lay conduit in the trench and thread the cables through, moving overhead lines safely underground.
Powering it all is a Volvo Penta D8 engine rated at 250 hp, delivering the fuel efficiency, low noise, and smooth operation this application demands. Volvo Penta and Mastenbroek have worked together for more than 10 years, sharing CAD data and 3D drawings so engine and machine are engineered as one system, with support through the entire lifetime of the machine.
Learn more about Volvo Penta industrial engines: volvopenta.com/industrial
Chapters:
00:00 Mastenbroek and the Bulldog trencher
00:35 Why California is burying power lines
00:56 How the machine digs and clears the trench
01:32 The Volvo Penta D8 engine
01:55 A 10-year engineering partnership
