Liebherr 1188 EC-H 40 Fibre: Europe's most powerful tower crane in use at RWE project

The impressive Liebherr 1188 EC-H 40 Fibre tower crane has been successfully put into operation as part of a major project to construct a CO2-neutral sewage sludge mono-incineration plant at Knapsacker Berg in Hürth-Knapsack. This crane, the largest of its kind in Europe, comes from the Liebherr EC-H series and was assembled by WASEL GmbH, a company in the Hagedorn Group.

The crane, which is specially designed for high loads, was put into operation with a hook height of 60 metres and a jib length of 75 metres. With a load capacity of up to 40 tonnes at a jib length of 24 metres and 12.9 tonnes at maximum jib length, the crane sets new standards in the field of tower cranes.

What particularly distinguishes this crane is the innovative fibre technology. The new fibre hoist rope not only offers a 40 percent higher tip load compared to conventional steel ropes, but also a four times higher service life under the same usage conditions. This means a significant reduction in operating costs and a longer service life.

The crane was assembled in November 2020 by an experienced team from WASEL. A 450-tonne mobile crane was used to precisely position the Liebherr 1188 EC-H 40 Fibre at its operating site. WASEL's in-house heavy haulage transport department was responsible for the logistics and ensured smooth operations with a total of two ballast lorries for the mobile crane and 18 additional lorry loads with the crane components.

The project itself is part of an important undertaking by RWE Power, involving an investment of 80 million euros. From 2026, the new sewage sludge mono-incineration plant will thermally recycle 180,000 tonnes of municipal sewage sludge annually, thus providing the region with a long-term, environmentally friendly disposal solution.

WASEL GmbH, a member of the Hagedorn Group, plays a crucial role in the implementation of this forward-looking project and once again demonstrates its expertise in the assembly and provision of state-of-the-art crane solutions. With the Liebherr 1188 EC-H 40 Fibre, the Hagedorn Group is putting its innovative strength and expertise at the service of sustainable and environmentally conscious construction projects.