The partnership between Liebherr and Damen Shipyards Group began with the delivery of an offshore crane type BOS 300T in 1985. 22 years and 109 delivered Liebherr cranes later, the collaboration continues in the festive order signing ceremony of a floating crane type CBG 350 as 110th ordered unit. Both tradition-conscious businesses are successfully lead in the third generation by family members of the company founders. Mrs. Patricia Rüf and Mr. Arnout Damen signed the contract in the name of the two family-owned companies in the middle of March 2017. At the signing ceremony for the 110th order, Arnout Damen said:
“We are very pleased to be ordering this, the 110th Liebherr crane used on a Damen vessel. The crane will be used on the next generation Transshipment Crane Barge, the latest innovative solution resulting from the collaboration between our companies. We have very much enjoyed working together with Liebherr for more than 30 years and look forward to continuing to do so in the future.”
Mrs Patricia Rüf, member of the board of Liebherr-International AG commentated the successful signing with the following statement:
“The vessels of Damen Shipyard Group and the cranes from Liebherr complement each other perfectly and achieve highest effectiveness when it comes down to transportation and transshipment of goods globally. The common position of both our companies essentially follows the philosophy of creating highest quality standards and we are proud that our cranes are installed on their vessels. We are confident that our cooperation will continue in the future and we are in no doubt that the continuous improvement of our ship crane portfolio will meet the requirements of next-generation vessels.”
The ordered Liebherr CBG 350 is the last of five identical floating cranes for usage on Damen built trans-shipment barges. The new Trans-shipment Crane Barge 6324 was designed by the two companies, together with Van der Leun (electrical systems), DMT Marine Equipment (winches) and Pon Power for the generator sets. They are specifically designed for working from ship-to-ship, ship-to-barge and ship-to-quay. Installed on an 18-metre-high pedestal, the CBG 350 is able to load and unload vessels up to Panamax and Cape size class. It can be equipped with a grab for dry bulk handling, a container-spreader or a hook to enable every kind of material and cargo handling. Designed for high-speed, continuous operation, even in challenging conditions, the high stable four rope grab crane ensures an increased turnover of more than 1,000 tonnes per hour. The extended cabin offers optimum visibility during operation and optimizes the efficiency of the crane handling. The Liebherr CBG 350 has a maximum capacity of 45 tonnes in hook operation and 35 tons in grab operation, both at a maximum outreach of 36 metres. The barge design is based on Damen´s renowned Stan Pontoon Series which is built on stock for fast delivery and request related customisation. The used barge has a total length of 63 metres and a beam of 23 metres. It can be used for a wide variation of operating scenarios at open sea, coastal or inland (sheltered waters). It offers accommodation places for 12 crew members with European standards which allows continuous operation at all times. Four double drum winches manoeuvre the barge alongside any vessel or quay and can also be used for anchoring. The winches are positioned in such a way they enhance safety during mooring operation and minimise the potential for hazards. Damen’s roots in the production of workboats comes out in the detail, fulfilling the company’s goal of delivering high quality, reliable and easy to operate and maintain vessels. The integrated ballast system trim and stabilise the whole barge construction in operation. The planned barge concept is designated for grain handling in the Black Sea. Liebherr Maritime Cranes and Damen Shipyards Group accentuate their long-lasting partnership with the graduation of this upscale barge project and look forward to a common and successful future. Both companies took a further step to share their decadeslong construction experience and to develop customised turn-key trans-shipment solutions from a single sourcec