Denzai K.K., a Japanese firm specializing in heavy lift and specialized transportation engineering, is poised to introduce the Liebherr LR 12500-1.0, a 2500-ton state-of-the-art crawler crane. This acquisition will make Denzai the inaugural owner of the LR12500 in both Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.
The rationale for selecting this crane model is to satisfy the specific height and weight requirements of the offshore wind power projects in Japan’s Round 1 and Round 2. Additionally, the crane will be instrumental in assembling and constructing components for the anticipated floating offshore wind farms.
As offshore wind turbines increase in size to generate more electricity, their height and weight also escalate, rendering the construction of even larger turbines unfeasible with DENZAI’s current 1350-ton crawler crane (Liebherr LR 11350), the largest in their fleet. In the ongoing Round 1 and Round 2 offshore wind farm projects, the weight specifications for the towers will differ from those in Europe, with the Japanese standards anticipated to be heavier.
Moreover, the operational radius required for these cranes in Japan is expected to exceed that of their European counterparts due to weaker wharf structures at some Japanese ports, necessitating a greater distance from the wharves for crane operations. If the weight of the nacelle exceeds 800 tons, lifting it from the far side of the vessel would be impossible with a single 1350-ton crane. Instead, two such cranes would be required.
The Liebherr LR 12500-1.0, capable of lifting up to 951 tons with a working radius of 48 meters, meets these stringent requirements with a single crane.
Scheduled to be shipped from Liebherr’s manufacturing facility in Germany in July 2024, the Liebherr LR 12500-1.0 will commence operations in October at S-OIL’s Shaheen Project in Ulsan, South Korea. Subsequent deployments are planned both in Japan and internationally.
