Liebherr Cranes Put To Work In Austrian Wind Power Project
As countries around the world look to lower harmful emissions and environmental impact through renewable energy sources, wind power has become an increasingly attractive option. Austrian group Felbermayer is erecting 30 wind turbines at wind farms south of Vienna. The company has been working in the energy sector for decades and has 13 large Liebherr cranes capable of lifting 600 tonnes (661 U.S. tons) or more. In its current project, Felbermayer is using an LR 11000 and LR 1750/2 to erect Enercon wind turbines in Burgenland. The company will send another LR 11000 to wind farms near the Austrian-Slovakian border in May for another phase of the project which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2022.
Rising To The Challenge
Along the border between Austria and Slovakia, two bright blue cranes have been at work for months installing wind turbines with hub heights of up to 160 metres (525 feet). The LR 11000 and an LR 1750/2 equipped with the SX boom begin by hoisting three steel tower segments onto the concrete towers and then install the gondola, generator, hub, and rotor blades. Crane work in the windy Vienna Basin is tricky as work must adapt to the wind conditions. Waiting times can last for weeks. The SX boom on the LR 1750/2 increases the maximum permitted wind speed from 9 to 10 m (29.5 to 33 ft) per second, which means less downtime during assembly. A second LR 11000 crawler crane is expected to join the project to ensure it is completed on time.
“The time frames with wind speeds in which we can hoist and install components often open and close very quickly, sometimes even on an hourly basis,” says Enercon General Project Manager Oliver Masch. “And if we actually have a crane defect at any time, we are very satisfied with the service we received from Liebherr. Generally, it is only a matter of hours. But the reliability of the Liebherr cranes is almost perfect anyway.”
The ability to operate the cranes quickly is essential to the project. “The crane is no longer the limiting factor for getting on with the job. When the wind speeds are suitable, I can position one component after another without having to adjust the ballast in between,” says LR 11000 operator Gernold Mailänder. “That means I can complete a wind turbine in just three or four days.”
About The LR 11000
In addition to its ability to work in constricted areas, the LR 11000 has a low-cost transport design with a transport width of 3.5 m (11.5 ft) and height of 3.2 m (10.5 ft). Lattice sections slide into larger sections to save space and money. The crane’s V-frame has an adjustment distance of 17 m (55.7 ft) to move the derrick ballast and reduce the workload for ballast handling. The LR 11000 has a maximum load capacity of 1,000 t (1,102 U.S. t) and maximum hoist height of 220 m (722 ft).
About The LR 1750/2
The LR 1750/2 has a suspended ballast with VarioTray which removes the need for stacking and unstacking to allow work to be started quickly. The crane has a maximum load capacity of 750 t (826 U.S. t) and a maximum hoist height of 191 m (627 ft). The SX boom has extra-wide sections and the crane can also serve as a pedestal crane for long-term jobs.
Find Liebherr Cranes
You’ll find a large selection of new and used Liebherr cranes, including the LR 11000 and the LR 1750/2, for sale on CraneTrader.
Source: Liebherr