February 10 - Katoen Natie has invested in three new Liebherr mobile harbour cranes - one LHM 550 and two LHM 600s - in the port of Antwerp, as well as reinforcing its operations in Radicatel, France with a new LHM 420 crane.
The two LHM 600 models, both of which have a maximum lifting capacity of 208 tonnes and an outreach of up to 58 m, were delivered to Katoen Natie in Antwerp at the end of 2014. Thanks also to the installation of Sycratronic, one crane operator can use both cranes to handle heavy loads of up to 416 tonnes in a tandem operation, said Liebherr.
Manufactured by Liebherr Maritime Cranes in Rostock, Katoen Natie's new models aim to increase the company's competitiveness in breakbulk cargo handling. Moreover, said Liebherr, it demonstrates the company's focus on the expansion of the market share for heavy lift and project cargoes.
Katoen Natie also invested in a LHM 550 at the port of Antwerp, which is equipped with Liebherr's new Pactronic hybrid power booster. The tasks of this 144-tonne capacity model mainly include container and bulk handling, said the crane manufacturer.
In addition to its major investment at the Belgian gateway. Kateon Natie also opted to add a Liebherr mobile harbour crane to its facilities in Radicatel on the northern coast of France. The all-purpose LHM 420, which provides an outreach of 48 m and a maximum lifting capacity of 124 tonnes, will be used for general cargo operations, as well as container and bulk handling.