24.04.2019

First Liebherr LRS 545 for Oz

Australia’s Tianqi Lithium Kwinana has ordered the first 45 tonne Liebherr LRS 545 Reachstacker in Australia, part of a package which includes two Liebherr wheel loaders. The new machine will to go into operation in July.

Tianqi Lithium is currently in the process of bringing the new Kwinana plant on line, and ramping up to full production, when it will produce 48,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide a year. The lithium compound is extracted from spodumene, a mineral that is extracted in Greenbushes, 250km southwest of Kwinana.

The final product will be shipped in regular sea containers for use in battery production around the world. The new reachstacker’s primary job will be to stack and load the containers. The LRS 545 has a front row capacity of 45 tonnes and can reach up to five containers high. Power comes from a four cylinder Liebherr stage IV and tier 4 final diesel with SCR (selective catalytic reduction) exhaust system.
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The 45t Liebherr LRS 545 Reachstacker

Tianqi’s general manager Phil Thick, said: “We are looking forward to getting the new facility fully on line and producing. The reachstacker and wheel loaders are a small but important part of the overall process here, but it takes all parts to work together to get the result.”

Gordon Clark, general manager of Liebherr Australia’s Maritime Division added: “It is great to get one of our new machines into Australia. We have been in talks with Tianqi for some time now, and it’s great that they have put their trust in us.”