In March 2010 DP World Antwerp officially
commissioned its first Liebherr mobile harbour
crane on a portal (LPS 500) for service.
The Liebherr portal slewing crane (LPS) is an
efficient combination of a space-saving portal (mounted
on rails) and the proven mobile harbour crane
concept. Particularly on narrow quays, individual portal
solutions permit (railway) trains and (road) trucks to
travel below the portal.
“We are very pleased to be working with Liebherr on
this project. Liebherr’s involvement was a key factor
moving forward with the project, and we now look
forward to a successful operation as well as a
productive long term operating relationship with Liebherr”, says
Robby Van Bunder, technical manager of DP World Antwerp.
The portal, tailored exactly to the infrastructure requirements
of the customer, has a rail span of 11 meters, enough space to let
pass two trains next to each other under the crane. This design
offers unprecedented ease of operation in a full range of general
cargo applications.
A lifting capability of up to 104 tonnes and a maximum
outreach of 51 metres make it ideal for transshipment at
multipurpose terminals like this one. In addition to the on-board
diesel-hydraulic power transmission system the crane was
equipped with an electric motor and a 800m cable to offer the
customer the option to operate the crane from the existing high
voltage network (apart from the standard possibility to use the
crane independent of any shore supply).
“This portal crane brings a whole new dimension for cargo
handling at our terminal, positioning DP World Antwerp as a
premier break bulk port”, says Dimitri Abebeloos, operations
manager of breakbulk at DP World Antwerp.
The Liebherr mobile harbour cranes also offer a
synchronizing crane control system. This sophisticated software
called Sycratronic®, which allows two Liebherr mobile harbour
cranes to be operated simultaneously by one crane driver for
improved crane operation, speed and safety.
Before the final handover the LPS 500 had to pass a 48-hour
endurance test. The obligatory technical requirements of DP
World demanded a 98% reliability. “We had not one second of
downtime in 48 hours, this was the best equipment performance
test we ever had”, says Robby Van Bunder.
Once more, Liebherr managed to adapt its high-profile mobile
harbour crane concept in such a way that the customer could be
supplied with a portal solution which perfectly fits into the
terminal’s concept and at the same time offers all the advantages
of the LHM range.
“This project is the outcome of a process where all parties
have maintained focus on solutions throughout the development
phase. Liebherr looks forward to working with all parties
involved to ensure that this project will deliver the expected
outcome in the years to come”, says Johan Gouverneur, regional
sales manager of Liebherr.
DP World is one of the largest marine terminal operators in
the world and has a wide network of 49 terminals spanning 31
countries and five continents.
The port of Antwerp is a major player on the world market in
general cargo such as steel, fruit, forest products, cars and
nourishment. As such DP World Antwerp is one of the leading
general cargo stevedores in the Port of Antwerp.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
The Liebherr Group comprises more than 100 companies
worldwide and employs a total workforce in excess of 32,000
people. In 2009, Liebherr achieved a total consolidated turnover
of about €6.8 billion. The Liebherr Group’s holding company is
Liebherr-International AG in Bulle (Switzerland), which is wholly
owned by members of the Liebherr family. The business is now
in the hands of the second generation of the family and is jointly
run by Dipl. Kfm. Isolde Liebherr and her brother Dr. h.c. Dipl.-
Ing. (ETH) Willi Liebherr.
Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH, Nenzing (Austria), is the
largest maritime crane production site and head of the divisional
controlling company, the Liebherr-MCCtec GmbH, which is
responsible for the Liebherr range of maritime cranes.
The Liebherr-MCCtec GmbH has now four state-of-the-art
production sites for maritime cranes in Nenzing, Rostock
(Germany), Sunderland (United Kingdom) and Killarney (Ireland)
as well as seven fully owned sales and service organizations in
Hong Kong, Amersfoort (Netherlands), Hamburg (Germany),
Niederhergheim (France), Istanbul (Turkey), Mumbai (India) and
Baku (Azerbaijan). The maritime distribution network comprises
35 sales and service companies in total as well as a variety of
third party agents and dealers. More than 3,300 employees are
currently based at such various sites.