Marcor Stevedoring welcomes its first Liebherr LHM 800e crane

Marcor Stevedoring, which operates Hartel Terminal in the Maasvlakte, Netherlands, has taken delivery of Liebherr‘s LHM 800 type mobile harbour crane intended to serve as a logistical bridge between the port’s quay and storage warehouses for dry bulk cargo.

“Our first Liebherr LHM 800e, with its 64m reach and peak capacity exceeding 2,000 tons per hour, perfectly alligns with our bulk, bagged and containerized stevedoring operations,” Marcor said.

“The crane is not only unique in its performance and capabilities. It is also the first of its kind to operate fully electrified.”

Marcor Stevedoring B.V. handles approximately six million tonnes of loose, bagged and containerized bulk cargoes annually.

In 2022, Marcor decided to enhance its floating terminal in Rotterdam by initiating the development of a dry bulk terminal at the Steinweg Hartel Terminal, which previously operated as a breakbulk terminal by its parent company, C. Steinweg – Handelsveem B.V. (Steinweg).

The company said recently that the development of the terminal was progressing nicely with a new 160,000 CBM quay-bound warehouse set to be commissioned throughout Q1. The company also said that it has started to receive its first bulk cargoes at its new 140,000 CBM flat store after having completed a range of upgrades.

The new LHM 800 fits into the strategic growth of the terminal’s expansion, with its focus on more sustainable operations by using more renewable energy and cleaner drive concepts. A second LHM 800 has also been ordered and is scheduled to be shipped to Marcor later this year.

The Hartel Terminal has a 130,000 m² terminal and a 600-metre quay with a 16-metre draft alongside. It has vessel handling options from barges up to 120,000 DWT baby-cape vessels, both for board-to-board transshipment and discharge to/from the terminal.

The region is a major hub for the global dry bulk trade, handling commodities such as coal, iron ore, agri-bulk, and biomass, which are essential for the energy, steel, and food sectors.

A boom length of 64 metres and eye-level height of 30.8 metres help ensure that the crane can optimally load cargo between the quay and storage facilities, Liebherr said.

The crane’s electric drive unit, ergonomic cabin, and more digital features like touch panel pave the way for future assistance and partial automation systems.

The LHM 800 will be used for handling dry bulk commodities such as agri-bulk, biomass, fertilizers, and mineral bulk cargoes. The crane is poised to increase the throughput and efficiency of the terminal, which is expected to reach 10 million tonnes per year by 2025.

Growing need for logistical capacity

Marcor operates primarily in the discharge, loading, storage, and treatment of dry bulk commodities including agri-bulk, biomass, concentrates and ores, industrial minerals, jumbo bags, and other bulk. Ship-to-ship operations are also part of their services. The market size and growth are significant both in the region and globally.

“With the LHM 800, we have gained a competitive edge in the dry bulk market,” comments Danny Swart, Director of Marcor Stevedoring. “It is a versatile and powerful machine that can handle any type of cargo, from ore to grains and fertilizers. It also reduces our fuel consumption and emissions, which is in line with our sustainability goals.”

Liebherr said that of one of the assistance systems that aids in optimal bulk operation is the company’s in-house-developed SmartGrip technology. The system optimises the grab entry angle and adapts to the bulk material in use without the need to change the grab. When used, SmartGrip also fills the grab based on an optimum load graph, which reduces overload and its effects on the crane’s structure. In the end, these features help save time and required energy for the operations, Liebherr pointed out.