Karmsund Adds Liebherr Lifting Capacity

Authorities at Port of Karmsund in Norway have extended lifting capacity at the Haugesund Cargo Terminal, with the addition of a new Liebherr mobile harbor crane.

Karmsund Havn IKS has purchased a second Liebherr LHM 550, following the acquisition of its first unit three years ago, as it aims to increase breakbulk handling capacity.

“We are deeply involved in the project market and have the best equipment fleet in Norway for heavy lifting. The investment in crane No. 2 will also give us great opportunities to position the terminal when handling modules for offshore wind turbines, as the crane offers possibilities for tandem lifts with crane No. 1 with a total capacity of 308 tonnes,” said Tore Gautesen, Karmsund port director.


Heavy-lift Handling Growth

Gautesen noted that heavy-lift handling has flourished at the Haugesund Cargo Terminal since the first LHM 550 mobile harbor crane was commissioned, and expects this trend to continue in 2021 as breakbulk volumes pick up.

“We have been very satisfied with our LHM 550, and with our collaboration with Liebherr. We have had far higher activity on the first crane than expected. Investing in a second LHM 550 after only 2 years of operation with the first one, says a lot about the development at the terminal, and also about the expectations for further growth,” Gautesen added.

One of the largest ports in the region, Karmsund has seen particularly strong growth in breakbulk demand from the offshore wind industry in recent years and sees a "big advantage" in using the LHM 550 cranes for tandem lifts to handle larger wind power components.

Meri to Deliver

The new harbor crane will be shipped fully assembled in March by breakbulk specialist Meri, arriving direct from its manufacturing site in Rostock, Germany.

The crane features a maximum lifting capacity of 154 tonnes and a maximum outreach of 54 meters. It is also part of the port’s sustainability strategy in that it will be operated entirely on electricity. The crane will be able to operate the entire dock area at Husøy, and is equipped for handling containers, bulk cargo and project loads.

Headquartered in Germany, Liebherr Group employs more than 46,000 people worldwide and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of construction machines. The group is an exhibitor at Breakbulk events. 
 

---