Since the start of production in 2005, Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock GmbH has manufactured and delivered well over 1,000 maritime cranes. Today, the numerous mobile harbour, ship and offshore cranes are in use in over 100 countries on all continents. Now the 1,300th crane has left the Rostock premises to its destination in Ghana.Â
Slowly, ship cranes on the heavy-lift vessel BBC-Russia raise the new machine over the quay edge. The LHM 550 is one of two Liebherr mobile harbour cranes that will, in a few hours, begin the 5,500-kilometre journey to Ghana. On receiving their new machines, the West African Port of Tema is expanding its fleet of cranes for container handling. This delivery marks the eighth mobile harbour crane from Rostock to the port operator: Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).
The berths adjacent to the Liebherr factory in Rostock’s port are accessible to ships with a draught of up to 13 metres and are free from shipping obstacles such as locks and bridges. The factory’s direct connection to the Baltic Sea makes it possible to load the fully-assembled cranes, in working order. As such, the two machines boarding the BBC-Russia are ready for use after arrival at the port of destination.Â
An experienced team makes use of various loading options when shipping the cranes. An example is the roll on/roll off (RoRo) procedure on board special ships which enables the machines to travel independently from the quay onto the vessel. Today’s loading onto the BBC-Russia is being carried out in the lift on/lift off (LoLo) procedure. The LoLo procedure involves cargo being lifted up onto the ship using on-board cranes. However, road freight also offers advantages for many customers due to the immediate proximity of the Liebherr factory to the German motorway network.Â
