Electric Liebherr portal crane strengthens Baria Serece, Vietnam

(Posted on 04/12/25)

Precision meets progress at Phu My Port, Vietnam. The LPS 550 has been deployed to handle bulk commodities with exceptional throughput, combining a 144-tonne lifting capacity and a 48-metre boom with Liebherr’s advanced hydrostatic drive. Its high-voltage electric drive ensures energy-efficient operation, complemented by a diesel engine for backup during grid interruptions. The crane’s four-rope grab system enhances material flow, while storm anchors and robust structural design guarantee stability under challenging conditions. After commissioning, the unit surpassed expectations during performance tests, achieving up to 1,250 tonnes per hour.

Phu My’s operator recorded nearly 7m metric tonnes of cargo in recent years, underscoring the need for dependable high-cycle equipment. In its first year, the crane logged 4,000 operating hours, usually running up to 22 hours per day, underscoring its role as a cornerstone of Baria Serece’s operational continuity strategy. With two berths totalling 620 metres and a design to receive vessels up to 100,000 DWT, the terminal’s physical footprint is optimised for bulk flows and quick vessel turnarounds.

Performance tests at the terminal confirmed peak handling of up to 1,250 tonnes per hour, aligning with the crane’s four-rope grab concept and hydrostatic drives that sustain simultaneous hoisting, slewing and luffing. These gains support Vietnam’s growing trade volumes by stabilising discharge times for agribulk products and fertiliser vessels while protecting schedule integrity during seasonal peaks.

The portal undercarriage allows the crane to travel on rails while keeping the working area beneath the portal open for trucks and service traffic, which is particularly valuable on narrow quays. The portal design preserves ground access and enables integration directly above conveyor lines for uninterrupted cargo flow to storage, reducing rehandles and quay congestion. The LPS 550 combines the reach and precision of a dedicated bulk machine with the operational flexibility to serve multiple berths and cargo types without new superstructure.

Liebherr’s regional service footprint supports planned maintenance around vessel windows and provides access to parts and field engineers, which helps maintain uptime and predictable duty cycles for high utilisation bulk operations.

‘Engineering decisions at Baria Serece were driven by space, cycle time and reliability,’ said Andreas Ritschel, General Manager Sales Mobile Harbour Cranes at Liebherr-Rostock GmbH. ‘A rail?mounted portal crane with four?rope grab control offers the stability and handling speed the terminal requires, without sacrificing quay access for landside logistics.’ The configuration offers a clear path to ensuring Phu My’s bulk operations scale with market demand while retaining a compact quay footprint.