Acciaierie d’Italia orders of four electric Liebherr LPS 800s

A leading steel manufacturer in Italy, Acciaierie d’Italia has signed a contract with Liebherr for four new LPS 800 portal cranes for handling raw materials for steel production. The

LPS 800 is the strongest and largest portal crane in the Liebherr portfolio. The four units are 100% electrically driven so enable emission-free bulk handling. They also have the Liebherr hybrid system Pactronic installed, which gives the crane additional power when needed.

Acciaierie d’Italia operates a large and strategically placed steel mill in the city of Taranto that is the centre of its business. The site is to be further equipped with the latest crane technology for handling raw materials represented by the largest and strongest Liebherr portal crane – LPS 800.

Andreas Müller, Liebherr’s sales director for mobile harbour cranes said, “Our unique technical solutions around this project made the difference. These four gigantic portal cranes run 100% electrically and thus enable emission-free material handling. Acciaierie d’Italia also secures an unrivalled handling performance in the MHC market with the four LPS 800s. We are looking forward to this exciting partnership.”

The LHM 800 is the largest and most powerful model in Liebherr’s mobile harbour crane product range. Currently, more than 20 units in the mobile version are in use with various customers worldwide. Acciaierie d’Italia has ordered a customised portal version of the 800 model.

Detaching the crane substructure via a portal has various advantages: the crane can move along the quay edge on the already installed rail and at the same time, the space under the portal can be used. With its portal crane models, Liebherr offers a notable combination of established Liebherr harbour crane technology and space-saving installation on rail-mounted gantries.

Matteo Bilotti, managing director of the Mac Port Group said, “Acciaierie d’Italia is a major player in the European steel business. We are proud that they have chosen the market leader in mobile harbour crane technology – Liebherr. With Mac Port Group they have a competent and local contact on site. We will support them in all service matters and ensure maximum availability of the equipment.”

Acciaierie d’Italia’s four LPS 800 models have a 4-rope configuration with a maximum lifting capacity of up to 144t. All machines are equipped exclusively with an e-drive and can thus operate without local emissions. This is in line with the current trend, which shows a clear shift in drives towards electric. The cranes are also equipped with the Pactronic hybrid power booster developed by Liebherr.

The Pactronic is an additional pressure storage that accumulates sink energy or excess energy from the electric drive and returns it to the closed hydraulic circuit in the form of pressure when required. This allows the power in the lifting process to be increased. Moreover, surplus energy is not wasted but fed back into the circuit and used efficiently. These features allow handling rates of up to 2000t/hour

In order to prepare both the crane operators and the technical staff of Acciaierie d’Italia in the period until delivery, various training options are currently being discussed. Liebherr’s own LiSIM simulator will certainly be used in the process. Technical service training at the maritime headquarters in Rostock, Germany, is also an option for optimum preparation for the future handling equipment. Liebherr is able to complete the entire acquisition process, from individual technical solutions to delivery and training.