Laing O’Rourke buys world’s first electric crawler crane

Laing O’Rourke’s specialist plant arm Select will be the first business in the UK to take delivery of the world’s first battery-powered crawler crane.

Manufacturer Liebherr launched the LR1250.1 250t lattice jib
crawler crane yesterday (1 December), claiming that it produces zero emissions and
also has the same performance of its diesel-powered counterparts, whether it is
unplugged or plugged in.

Select already has a stock of electric concrete pumps,
MEWPs, advanced technology electric tower cranes and hoists which have a much
lower power consumption. The firm is also using solar and hybrid power
solutions to reduce the requirement for large diesel generators. 

Select’s business unit leader Alex Warrington said: “We have
always sought to lead the industry by sourcing cranes with the latest
technology engines. We identified crawler cranes as an area of potential
for electric machines and are proud to partner with Liebherr whose exciting
product development have made this a reality. 

“Our aim is to play a key role in helping to drive this change across the industry by partnering with clients and contractors to deliver innovative solutions to this global challenge.”

Select will take delivery of the Liebherr LR1250.1 250t
lattice jib crawler crane in March 2021.