28.09.2023

New 700 tonner for wind work

Swiss company Emil Egger has taken delivery of a new Liebherr LR 1700-1.0 for wind turbine installation.

The increasingly popular LR 1700-1.0 features 165 metres of main boom, while a maximum under hook height of 198 metres can be achieved with 96 metres of main boom and 102 metres of luffing jib. It is able to handle its full capacity at a radius of 8.5 metres and has a maximum radius of 160 metres. The crane also features VarioTray and V-frame ballast systems, with hydraulic ballast radius adjustment from 13 to 21 metres.
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The LR 11000 took the highest hub heights

The new crane teamed up with Egger’s 1,000 tonne LR 11000 to erect Switzerland’s second largest wind farm on the edge of the town of Sainte-Croix in the Jura mountains near the French border. The six Enercon turbines take Switzerland’s wind turbine count to 49. The six are expected to generate more than 22 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough for more than 6,000 homes.
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The new LR 1700-1.0 installs the rotor assembly

Working at an elevation of 1,200 metres The LR 1700-1.0 was rigged with 99 metres of main boom, topped by a 12 metre jib offset at 10 degrees. The LR 11000 was rigged with a 114 metres of main to tackle the turbines with the highest hub heights of 99 metre. The heaviest loads were the 71 tonne generators. The team chose to assemble the rotors on the ground and lift the resulting 65 tonnes in one go. The two cranes completed the job in just eight weeks.
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The LR 11000 tilting up the assembled rotor

Crane operator Peter Stricker said: "The heaviest load cases on this job are the generators. Together with the hook block and slings, I had a gross weight of 71 tonnes hanging from my LR 11000.”

Managing director Michael Egger added: All the crawler cranes in our fleet are from Liebherr, we rely completely on the Liebherr brand for crawler crane technology because these modern machines are extremely practical and user friendly. The machines are simply 'state of the art'. And Liebherr's service leaves little to be desired - and not just for reasons of physical proximity. If we have a major problem with our equipment, a mechanic is on site within two hours. And that's worth a lot."