Pull the Plug, Keep the Power: A Battery Crawler Crane Rebuilds a North Sea Sluice

De Klerk Werkendam is installing 162 sheet piles from an electrified pontoon with a Liebherr LR 1130.1 unplugged, and plans to add more electric cranes

On the Brouwersdam in the Netherlands, the sheet pile structures that help regulate the flow of water between the North Sea and the Grevelingenmeer are 50 years old and due for replacement. The contractor doing the work, De Klerk Werkendam, has chosen to do it with a battery-powered Liebherr LR 1130.1 unplugged crawler crane. When shore power is available, almost the entire floating jobsite runs without local emissions.

A demanding foundation job

The refurbishment of the Brouwer sluice lock complex calls for 162 new sheet piles, each 23 metres long. The sandy soil of the embankment is highly compacted, which requires a high-performance sheet pile vibrator and a crane robust enough to handle it.

The LR 1130.1 unplugged works from a barge. Its large working radius lets it position the sheet piles precisely from the water and load building materials from the shore. Once the new elements are in place, the old piles are removed, laying the foundations for a modern lock system.

How the unplugged concept works

The crane’s battery is charged from a conventional jobsite electricity supply, and the machine can keep working while it charges. Switching to battery operation means simply pulling out the plug. Liebherr says performance and range of application are the same whether the crane is connected or not, and identical to those of the conventional diesel version.

That point matters for contractors weighing electric equipment: the decision does not come at the cost of lifting capacity or versatility.

The pontoon itself is part of the same strategy. It has an electric drive, electric spud piles and a hybrid system combining battery storage with solar panels. When shore power is available, the only diesel consumer on the setup is the hydraulic power unit of the sheet pile vibrator. De Klerk Werkendam describes the combination of an electrically powered pontoon and crawler crane as unique in the Netherlands.

Quieter sites, convinced operators

De Klerk Werkendam opted for the electric crane to meet the growing requirements of emission-free jobsites, and the experience so far has been positive. Project managers and operators point in particular to the low noise and emission levels. According to Liebherr, the sound pressure level of three unplugged crawler cranes idling, measured at 16 metres, is equivalent to a normal conversation on site at a distance of one metre.

The result is a shift in attitude on the ground: the contractor’s employees now prefer to use the electrically powered machines.

For marine and hydraulic contractors, the project shows how electrification can extend beyond the crane to the whole working platform, leaving only the most energy-hungry tools on diesel.

More electric cranes to come

De Klerk Werkendam intends to keep using the electric pontoon and crane combination and plans to introduce further electric cranes. The company also highlights the reliability of the Liebherr machines, fast parts deliveries and prompt technical support on site as reasons for the positive experience.

Pull the Plug, Keep the Power: A Battery Crawler Crane Rebuilds a North Sea Sluice published on The HeavyQuip Magazine.