Inside Liebherr’s precision mobile crane operation in Germany, which is powering Europe’s renewable energy transition.
Last autumn in southern Germany, a fleet of Liebherr mobile cranes carried out one of the most technically demanding grid-upgrade lifts seen in recent years – an operation that speaks directly to the challenges Australia faces as transmission networks scale to meet renewable energy demand.
Over several days, seven Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 cranes simultaneously raised four high-voltage transmission masts, allowing engineers to rebuild and extend the existing lattice towers and increase ground clearance for higher-capacity conductors. In total, 18 Liebherr cranes were deployed across four sites – each working in perfect synchrony during a scheduled line shutdown that required the entire operation to commence at once.
For Sven Bauer, Managing Director at AKM Autokran-vermietung in Munich, the project represented the culmination of months of complex, multi-site preparation along a major high-voltage corridor.
“The synchronous lifts represented the final moments of a major project during which we enlarged a total of 15 masts on this power line. Today, I have to be at all four of the construction sites to ensure that everything is running smoothly,” said Bauer.
The widest gap between the sites was nearly 50 kilometres – an operational stretch familiar to Australian transmission contractors coordinating distributed upgrade or rebuild tasks across regional grid assets.
A heavy-lift workhorse built for modern grid demands
The star of the project was the LTM 1650-8.1, introduced at Bauma 2019 as the successor to the legendary LTM 1500-8.1 – one of the world’s best-selling large cranes. The 1650-8.1 carries the same design DNA: maximum performance on eight axles, delivering lifts in the 700-tonne class.
Depending on configuration, it outperforms its predecessor by 15-50 per cent, giving grid operators, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors, and civil-energy builders a crane capable of tackling the oversized loads associated with contemporary transmission infrastructure.
As Australia ramps up 500 kilovolt (kV) rebuilds, renewable energy zone developments and long-distance interconnector projects, this class of equipment is playing an increasingly critical role in getting major transmission infrastructure built.
Two nights on the hook
The most intense sequence of the German operation involved two cranes holding a suspended tower section aloft for two nights, while some 35 metres of the mast structure were constructed underneath.
Because the suspended sections could not be left unattended, crane operators rotated through the cabs overnight. Work by industrial climbers and rigging teams was limited to daylight, and only began once the dense ground fog typical of the region had lifted.
Supporting the primary cranes were multiple LTM models ranging from 90 to 250 tonnes, which installed 30 tonne pre-assembled components beneath the raised structures.
20,000 aluminium and steel access plates
Illustrating the sheer logistical scale of the Liebherr’s mobile crane operation in Germany, 20,000 aluminium and steel access plates were laid to stabilise the work pads and approach routes.
“Because of the recent rain, we had very muddy soils,” Bauer said.
“It took an enormous amount of effort to create safe routes and parking areas for the cranes. In some cases, 25 square metres of load distribution plates were needed for a single outrigger. We also had sloping terrain in some places, so we needed to shore up the outriggers significantly.”
Australia faces similar challenges. Whether it’s heavy wind-farm lifts in Victoria’s High Country or transmission works in New South Wales’ central west, ground conditions now play a decisive role in crane choice, mobilisation and overall site logistics.
Coordinated telescoping and a tight window
One of the key technical challenges was telescoping at shallow angles while carrying loads. This technique allowed crews to carefully manoeuvre components beneath the temporarily elevated high-voltage masts. This work demanded absolute precision.
“We often had to telescope at a fairly flat angle with an attached load to move components below the raised power masts,” Bauer explained.
The entire project was bound by a strict outage window. With the line de-energised only for a short period, all four sites were activated simultaneously. This was another operational pressure Australian grid-upgrade teams will recognise as networks push toward higher utilisation and fewer planned outages.
Service as success factor
When the final mast was positioned on day three, Bauer was visibly relieved.
“The meticulous planning paid off. It’s also thanks to the excellent service from Liebherr that we’ve been able to complete this mission on time. Our customer had clear requirements: only cranes that guaranteed fast and reliable service were to be deployed,” he said.
When a hydraulic hose fault occurred, Liebherr’s field service team arrived immediately and repaired it on site. This critical support ensured the outage window was not compromised.
“This was important so that the power could be restored to the cables within the planned deadline,” Bauer added.
Why this matters for Australia
As Australia enters its biggest transmission build since the 1950s, the German project shows how synchronous lifts can speed power-line uprating, why high-capacity cranes matter on complex terrain, how strong manufacturer support protects outage windows, and how grid-upgrade logistics are becoming more intricate.
With major projects such as Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI), EnergyConnect, HumeLink and Western Renewables Link advancing, Australia’s transmission boom will increasingly rely on exactly this kind of finely choreographed, equipment-intensive engineering.
And as this recent operation demonstrates, when heavy lifting meets meticulous planning and dependable service, the grid quite literally rises to meet the future.