Giant crawler crane heading for the UK: lift planning notes for project engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
A 2,500‑tonne capacity Liebherr LR12500‑1.0 crawler crane is heading to an undisclosed UK project, set to become the country’s largest crawler crane and surpassing Sarens UK’s 1,600‑tonne Demag CC8800. The LR12500‑1.0 offers a 200 m maximum hoist height and 180 m operating radius via an extra‑wide main boom, giving UK contractors new options for single‑lift installation of very heavy modules and tall structures. Mammoet has also added a 1,350‑tonne LR11350 (220 m hoist height) as it targets large offshore wind and other heavy industrial work.
Technical Brief
- LR12500-1.0 achieves its lifting capacity via an unusually wide main boom configuration.
- Liebherr introduced the LR12500-1.0 in 2022 as one of its largest crawler models.
- Only Liebherr’s 3,000‑tonne LR13000 exceeds the LR12500-1.0 within its crawler product range.
- Mammoet already operates one LR12500-1.0; the UK‑bound unit is its second of this type.
- Sarens’ SGC‑250 at Hinkley Point C lifts 5,000 tonnes at 40 m but is ring‑mounted, not crawler‑mounted.
- Latest Cranes & Access rankings indicate LR12500-1.0 will surpass Sarens UK’s 1,600‑tonne Demag CC8800 crawler.
- New LR11350 joins 10 existing Mammoet cranes in the 1,000–1,350‑tonne capacity range.
- UK crane operator Weldex also operates an LR11350, indicating existing domestic experience with this platform.
Our Take
Mammoet’s use of very heavy lift kit in the UK echoes its recent 4,200‑tonne Clifton railway bridge move over the M6, signalling that UK infrastructure clients are increasingly comfortable planning works around mega-lift logistics rather than conventional staged assembly.
Liebherr cranes feature in several recent items in our database, from all‑terrain fleet standardisation at Davies Crane Hire to extended maintenance intervals on Generation 6 handlers, suggesting UK operators like Mammoet and Weldex will be able to leverage a deepening Liebherr service and parts ecosystem for large crawler deployments.
With Hinkley Point C already relying on high‑capacity lifting solutions, the arrival of a 2,500‑tonne‑class crawler crane into the United Kingdom further entrenches the country as a European hub for nuclear- and energy‑scale heavy lifting, which is likely to influence fleet investment decisions at competitors such as Sarens UK.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
Construction
Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.
CMRR-io
Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.
HYDROGEO-io
Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.
GEODB-io
Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.