The Ibarrondo Group has purchased a Liebherr LG 1750 for erecting wind turbines. The new 750 tonne lattice boom mobile crane features the new SL20F2 boom system which is designed for the low cost erection of heavy equipment on wind turbine towers up to 100 metres in height. The elimination of a derrick system means fast set up, easy manoeuvring from one wind power generator to the next and a reduction in the number of transport units.

The new crane makes Ibarrondo a pioneer in Spain – it is the first one with the new boom system based on the Liebherr SX system with boom sections 3.5 m wide. Only one additional component is required for the extension from the SX system to the SL20F2 and can be used for both the LR 1750/2 crawler crane and for the LG 1750 mobile crane. A conscious decision was made to eliminate the derrick system to improve economy. The lifting capacity figures of the new boom system are impressive even in this configuration – at a hook height of 113 metres it has a lifting capacity of 140 tonnes, 20% more than similar cranes without a derrick system. This means it is ideal for current and also future wind turbine generations on towers measuring up to 100 metres in height. The new boom system is not just limited to wind turbines, however, as a 400-tonne head for hoisting heavy loads can be installed instead of the lattice fly jib.

“We assessed several different options and decided on the LG 1750 from Liebherr. Not just because it retains its value well, which is very important to us, but also because of the product quality and the professionalism of the Liebherr specialists and the company’s good after sales service. That makes a real difference in our industry,” says Mikel Ibarrondo, Managing Director of the Group.

Ibarrondo is a family-run company. The Group has been active in the crane industry since 1956 and currently operates around 70 cranes, around 60 % of which bear the Liebherr brand name. The fleet includes cranes with lifting capacities ranging from 8 to 750 tonnes, including the new LG 1750.

Mikel Ibarrondo continues: “When we decided to buy a lattice boom crane, the options from Liebherr were a crawler crane or a mobile crane. We decided on the LG 1750 mobile crane as a result of its better mobility and slightly higher lifting capacity.”

During its first five months in service, the new crane will work in a wind farm where it will use all its capacity. More wind turbine work is planned for it afterwards. But Ibarrondo will also use the crane in industry, chemical plants and other construction projects and therefore decided to invest straight away with the first delivery in extending the crane with a derrick, the new “Vario Tray” suspended ballast pallet and the SX boom with a boom length of 144 m (SXD4F2B) so that the crane would be suitable for covering a wide range of work in the future.

Credits : Liebherr