Electric crane demand

The demand for Liebherr’s LHM machine with zero-emission e-drive has doubled compared to 2019 with more than a third of orders now having an e-drive installed and rising demand, along with retrofits.

”Electrification is entering a new market phase and a significant shift in focus for electrified cranes can be observed,” said the crane supplier, in its latest market report.

Tried and tested

Liebherr has been successfully using a hybrid drive concept consisting of a diesel engine and an electric drive for the mobile harbour cranes product segment for over 20 years.

In addition to emission-free handling, the benefits of e-drive include cost savings and less maintenance.

The diesel engine is used exclusively for moving the crane along the quayside. As soon as the crane has reached the desired position, the machine is connected to the local power grid by cable. 

If required, during operation with an electric drive, the energy recovered from the lowering can be fed into the local power grid. In this way, the operational cost of electrically driven cargo handling can be reduced even further.

Liebherr mobile harbour cranes are equipped with the hydrostatic drive concept widely used in the Liebherr Group. 

All energy-consuming movements are connected to a closed hydraulic circuit and are fed by it when required. Closed hydraulic loops are used for all main functions such as hoisting, slewing and luffing. 

This innovative drive principle generally saves diesel or energy during crane operation and enables sustainable and efficient operation.