Euroports Orders Emission-Free Portal Crane from Liebherr

Liebherr will supply Euroports Germany with a fully electric portal crane next year. All crane movements of this pioneering machine are carried out using emission-free electric motors. With this sustainable investment, Euroports is increasing the handling capacity of its bulk terminal in the Rostock overseas port.

(Rostock) Euroports Germany is the largest port handling company in the Rostock overseas port and throughout Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The company continuously responds to changing market conditions to enable efficient cargo handling for its customers. In recent years, Euroports Germany has already invested in two Liebherr cranes for its General Cargo Terminal in the Rostock overseas port. The two mobile harbor cranes of the type LHM 550 are the backbone of the high handling of wind turbines and made the increasing container handling possible in the course of the New Silk Road. The also increased bulk cargo volume prompted Euroports to quickly put a Liebherr mobile harbor crane of the type LHM 280 into operation. To further increase handling performance and provide necessary replacements for two harbor cranes, the Euroports crane fleet will be expanded by another unit in 2022.

Liebherr will deliver the fully electric LPS 420 E to its neighbor in the Rostock overseas port in the summer of next year. “We want to further enhance the handling capacity at our bulk terminal. Next year, we are not only investing in a new crane to be even more efficient, but we also want to contribute to sustainability,” says Karsten Lentz, Managing Director of the Euroports Germany Group. “We have chosen a fully electric crane, the LPS 420 E. The crane will be used in the future for handling all types of goods at this terminal. This includes not only construction materials but also ores, lime, gypsum, wood chips, and many more,” Lentz adds.

Fully Electric Dynamics

The purely electrically driven portal crane is designed for ports and terminals with electrical infrastructure. All crane movements such as luffing, lifting, slewing, and traveling are carried out not hydraulically, but using emission-free electric motors. With a maximum reach of up to 48 meters, ships up to the post-Panamax class can be serviced. The LPS 420 E has a maximum lifting capacity of up to 124 tons and impresses with several key technical advantages.

The main components of the electric drive are liquid-cooled, and the heat is dissipated via heat exchangers that are mounted outside the crane. These external cooling units have the advantage, especially in bulk handling, that no air needs to be brought into the interior of the crane. This minimizes contamination from dust. Thanks to the Liebherr active front-end frequency converter, deviations in the power supply can be easily compensated for safe and stable operation. The machine is equipped with highly efficient energy storage systems to reduce peak loads in the main power supply of the crane and to utilize regenerative energy within the system. In addition, the synchronous electric motors have a low moment of inertia, ensuring a quick response and thus precise driving characteristics.

Increasing Electrification

The electrification of drives is also reaching a new quality in the maritime industry. A clear shift in focus towards electrified cranes is evident. In addition to an increased demand for hybrid drive concepts consisting of a diesel and an electric motor, fully electric solutions are also coming more into focus. Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock GmbH has already sold numerous fully electric mobile harbor cranes to its international customers. The unit for Euroports Germany is now the first in the European market.

Photos: © Liebherr