The German crane manufacturer Liebherr and the Karmsund Port Authority, Norway, have signed a contract for a mobile harbour crane LHM 550. With a maximum lifting capacity of up to 154 tonnes and an outreach of 54m, this machine will be the largest and the strongest mobile harbour crane in Norway. Liebherr LHM 550 will be employed at Haugesund Cargo Terminals, Husoyfor handling bulk and project cargo, but mainly for containers.
The crane is to be delivered in April 2019 from Rostock by sea, completely assembled and ready for use, when landing at Husoy. The crane is 65m high, its weight is approximately 460 tonnes.
The Karmsund Port Authority is one of the largest harbours in western Norway, with 13 mln tonnes of goods and over 50,000 port calls each year. In January 2019, new modern container and ro-ro terminals will be opened at Haugesund Cargo Terminals, turning Husoy into an important logistics hub for the whole of western Norway.
According to the Port Authority, the agreement involves not only this one Liebherr LHM 550, but has an option of four more cranes until 2023. The agreement has a total value of NOK 150 to 200 mln, if all options are declared. The first crane has a price of EUR 3.6 mln.
This investment in the new equipment comes as part of the above-mentioned large-scale development at the port and aimed at reaching increased productivity and providing better solutions for clients and new opportunities in terms of heavy lifting and project loads.
Liebherr LHM 550 can be operated with diesel or electric motors, the latter option fully corresponds with the Karmsund Port Authority’s vision that the port should, as far as possible, be operated under the principles “Lean – Clean – Green”.
Tore Gautesen, Port Director in Karmsund, states: “This is a great day for Karmsund Port, our customers, partners and the whole region. The crane will give the region completely new possibilities and will be a very important tool for creating increased activity. We are pleased with the agreement we have entered into with Liebherr, an agreement that guarantees us top-notch cranes in terms of quality and technology.”
The new crane was sold with a Liebherr service contract, which implies short response times and fast delivery of spare parts if required. This will ensure economic, stable and safe operation of the crane for the coming years.