01.12.2020

Liebherr unveils electric crawlers

Liebherr has announced the introduction of its first battery electric crawler cranes with the 200 tonne LR 1200.1 Unplugged and 250 tonne LR 1250.1 Unplugged lattice boom models.

The new cranes, developed by Liebherr Nenzing - which designs and builds Liebherr duty cycle and lift cranes up to 300 tonnes capacity - have the same performance and same structural elements as the regular LR 1200.1 and LR 1250.1. but the diesel power unit is replaced with a large lithium ion battery pack, with electric motors driving the hydraulic pumps. The rest of the cranes are the same as on the regular models.
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The new LR 1250.1 Unplugged

The battery pack can be recharged on a conventional 32 or 63 Amp jobsite electrical supply in around 4.5 hours or just 2.25 hours with a 125 Amp supply. The battery is said to be designed for four hours lifting operation- based on typical lifting cycles - travel, hoisting, luffing, slewing etc that Liebherr has collected over the past few years from cranes working on a wide range of applications. The new cranes can also be operated while plugged into the electricity supply. A larger battery pack may also be available as an option.
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The recharging connection is on the side of the track body

As with the well proven diesel units, main boom lengths are 89 metres on the LR 1200 and 86 metres on the LR 1250, with lightweight or heavyweight booms available. A fixed offset jib of up to 26 metres or luffing jib of up to 95 metres are available for both cranes, with a maximum system length on the LR 1250 of 148 metres – 53 metres of boom and the 95 metres of luffing jib. The maximum superstructure counterweight is 82 tonnes plus 36 tonnes of carbody ballast. The extended track width is seven metres with 1.2 wide track pads, while overall shipping width with tracks removed is just under 2.8 metres with a height of 3.29 metres and are also fully self assembling.

The new cranes feature a new yellow and white livery with additional detailing, to identify them. New operational features include improved walkways and guardrails on the superstructure, fold away ‘wing’ mounts for lights and/or cameras, and a new cab which offers reduced noise, a panoramic view and improved operator comfort, from an orthopaedic operator’s seat with integrated heating and cooling and a new air conditioning system.
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The new livery/colour scheme

The first LR 1250-1 Unplugged has been purchased by Kynningsrud Nordic Crane, with UK based Select Plant Hire, taking the second unit.

Eirik Kynningsrud of Kynningsrud/Nordic Crane said: Kynningsrud Nordic Crane is green in every sense. We are aware that we are part of society and therefore we are investing in a green future. When we invest, we think green and new machines meet the market environmental requirements, and therefore support our HSE strategy. For this reason, the decision that we wanted to be the first company in the world with the first electrical crawler crane was easy."
Our main market in Norway is Oslo, in 2019 the EU declared the city as the environmental capital which stands as a role model for green solutions. Oslo intends to be a fossil free city by 2030 so it is very relevant."

Select's crane is due to be delivered in March, a spokesman said: “With one of the largest fleets of crawler cranes in the UK we have always sought to lead the industry by sourcing cranes with the latest technology engines. We identified crawler cranes as an area of potential for electric machines and are proud to partner with Liebherr whose exciting product development have made this a reality.”

“Sustainability is central to all of Select‘s product development goals with the aim of contributing towards a zero carbon ambition. Select has not only invested in electric cranes but also electric concrete pumps, aerial work platforms, advanced technology electric tower cranes and hoists which have a much lower power consumption. We are also using solar and hybrid power solutions to reduce the requirement for large diesel generators. “

Liebherr also unveiled new versions of two other products, the LRB 355 foundation drilling rig and a battery powered version of the 70 tonne HS 8070.1 duty cycle crawler crane. The following video provides a few glimpses of each of the new products:

As soon as we learn more on the battery packs and performance of these new models, we will update this item.

Vertikal Comment

This is a very interesting and perhaps surprising development especially starting out on a fairly large lattice crane. How it will work in practice remains to be seen, perhaps a hybrid might have been a better first step?

It is however a bold move and will suit some particular applications, while not being suitable for others. But on the right job it will be an absolute winner.