Laing O’Rourke has taken delivery of its first electric crane, with the UK’s first Liebherr LR 1250.1 now officially handed over to Select Plant Hire.

The arrival of the ‘unplugged’ crawler from the factory in Austria marks the beginning of a planned fleet of battery-powered machines for Select; one of the UK’s largest suppliers of equipment and services to the construction industry in its drive towards zero emissions.

Select, part of engineering firm Laing O’Rourke, is only the second company in the world to introduce the 250-tonne capacity lattice jib model into its fleet following its worldwide launch last year.

In a so-called ‘socket operation’, the crane’s performance is identical to the diesel-powered version and in unplugged mode can operate for a full shift under normal operating conditions. 

Alternatively, the batteries supply sufficient energy for the erection of the main boom with luffing jib and travel over a distance of approximately 650 metres. The crane can operate fully when connected to a conventional electric supply or be recharged in 4.5 hours.

Select also runs electric concrete pumps, MEWPs, tower cranes and hoists and Alex Warrington, business unit leader, said: “With one of the largest fleets of crawler cranes in the UK, we have always sought to lead the industry by sourcing cranes with the latest technology engines. We identified crawler cranes as an area of potential for electric machines and are proud to partner with Liebherr whose exciting product development has made this a reality. 

“The industry is placing a much greater value on sustainability, energy consumption and zero carbon targets.”