Located in the southern part of Norway between Larvik and Kristiansand, the Port of Arendal is the biggest bulk port in Norway that uses mobile harbour cranes. The new LHM 550 joining the port is equipped for a variety of cargo applications. Liebherr’s own SmartGrip assistance system will optimise bulk handling for a battery factory in the region.
In August 2022, Liebherr delivered a new LHM 550 to the Port of Arendal in Norway. The main commercial terminal for the port is located at Eydehavn, just outside the city of Arendal. Eydehavn is a harbour that offers cranes and handling equipment for bulk loads, project cargo, offshore equipment, and containers. With a lifting capacity of up to 144 tonnes, this LHM 550 offers the port the ability to support larger project and special cargo, as well as optimised bulk operations. Another distinguishing benefit sought by the Port of Arendal is Liebherr’s extensive and high standard of service. Besides remote technical support and local field service, a large selection of original parts will help keep the LHM 550 running over many years.
The four-rope version of the LHM 550 that was delivered to the client in Arendal will provide flexible applications for cargo and material lifting. For increased efficiency in handling bulk cargo, a suitable grab that is coupled with Liebherr’s SmartGrip technology was part of the crane’s delivery. This feature can optimise the filling rate of the grab in a self-learning manner. In this way, SmartGrip learns after just a few lifting cycles how to optimise capacity utilisation of the grab. This reduces overloads to a minimum, increases the material handling rate and, at the same time, alleviates crane operator stress. Bulk material such as salt and sulphur will be among the main resources that will be handled by the LHM 550. A forthcoming project in the area that will benefit from the crane’s optimisations is a new battery factory by Morrow Batteries.
Rune Hvass, Port Director at Arendal Havn, notes: “After deliberations about which LHM model fits our logistical needs the best, we ultimately decided on the LHM 550. An increasing number of customers are demanding capacity for larger and heavier project and general cargo. To also provide better support for a new battery factory that will be built locally, the choice for a larger mobile harbour crane made most sense.” Rune Hvass continues: “The high-quality level at which Liebherr is building its cranes, and especially the service concept Liebherr provides, were some of the main reasons why we decided to purchase a Liebherr mobile harbour crane.”
To help reduce noise, the crane is equipped with noise insulation material in the winch and machinery compartment. The crane is also equipped with an e-drive to enable local CO2-emission-free operation. In addition, the complete LiDAT smartApp package was chosen for the LHM 550. The LiDAT modules such as Maintenance and Optimise help monitor a variety of variables for better performance tracking and efficiency of the crane.
The Port of Arendal now has a new, well-calibrated machine to effectively support their clients’ growing logistical demands. With a radius of 54 metres, the LHM 550 is the perfect crane for handling bulk cargoes in the Capesize ship class. Container handling ships of the New-Panamax class are also part of the crane’s forte. General cargoes and heavy-duty lifting up to 144 tonnes complete the range of applications of the LHM 550. To help mark the delivery of the crane, a special naming contest was hosted by the port. Arendal Havn invited 25 groups featuring the region’s kindergartens, primary schools and lower secondary schools to participate in a naming contest for the port’s new giant. The winner of the contest was Trollstubben kindergarten with the group Fjelltroll and Vetter. They received a prize of NOK 2,000, which equates to around 200 EUR, and a tour of the harbour. The LHM 550 was named “Hulken,” or “Hulk” in English, and is based on the Marvel comic book character.
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