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Liebherr wins the ESTA Prize for innovation with their LR 1250.1 model



- Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH won the prize within the “Innovation Manufacturer” category with their LR 1250.1 unplugged model.


- The LR 1250.1 unplugged is the first-ever crawler crane to run on batteries.


– The LR 1250.1 was launched last December and has already been used successfully on site in a project in Oslo (Norway).


The ESTA Prizes are the highest distinction within the cranes and heavy loads sector. In this edition, Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH won the prize within the “Innovation Manufacturer” category with their LR 1250.1 unplugged model, the first-ever crawler crane to run on batteries. Due to the current pandemic, the ceremony was celebrated as an online event during the fourth week of April.


Nenzing (Austria), 26 April 2021 – “2020 has especially shown that we must keep an open mind and be bold in order to forge new horizons. With our unplugged crane, we offer our clients an alternative drive design. As we have already observed with the LB 16 unplugged, the first drill rig using a battery, this strategy is a total success. The strict environmental sustainability requirements in public tenders for construction projects increase the demand for advanced technologies. We therefore had no doubt that we should extend this concept to other varieties of products, and the result has been a success,” says Gerhard Frainer, general sales director at Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH, during the awards ceremony.

The LR 1250.1 was launched last December and has already been used successfully on site in a project in Oslo (Norway). Other models in the unplugged series will be operational in the United Kingdom in the following weeks.


Zero emissions


The LR 1250.1 unplugged is powered by an electric motos, with 255 kW of performance.

As opposed to conventional versions, neither performance nor availability are ever compromised in this unplugged crane model. In addition, it has a maximum lifting capacity of 250 tons.

Blue is the color found in the new design characterizing the unplugged series, and symbolizes the electrical solution represented by an advanced technology. The family of unplugged cranes guarantees the best combination of advantages for the operator, efficiency, and environmental sustainability.


Thanks to zero emissions, the new machines are freed from pollution and produce a very low level of noise. This is a great advantage for areas that are sensitive to noise, as well as for the people who work on site.



The crane can be recharged directly from the electrical power supply on site in 4.5 hours (32 A, 63 A), and, optionally in 2.25 hours (125 A). The capacity of the battery is designed to sustain 4 hours of lifting work. As their name states, the cranes can operate without having to be plugged in with a cable, and can therefore work “unplugged” thanks to a design that is electrically-powered by a battery.




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