Port Canaveral has moved the needle of its heavy-lift capability as a new Liebherr LHM 600 evo 6 crane arrived at the facility. It is the port’s second mobile harbour crane, marking a significant expansion in the Port’s ability to handle an increasingly diverse cargo portfolio. It joins the Liebherr LHM 600 evo 5, which entered service at the port in January 2019. 

“We have a commitment to support the state’s growing supply chain demands efficiently and effectively,” stated Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO. “Investing in state-of-the-art equipment like this bolsters our ability to handle a broad spectrum of cargo and increases our capacity to manage heavy lift operations like space components.”

The crane chassis and boom assembly along with other components arrived aboard the multipurpose vessel MV BBC Moonstone at Port Canaveral’s North Cargo Berth 5 (NCB5). Ambassador Services International, working in conjunction with ship’s personnel handled the offload of the heavy components. Assembly, testing and certification of the new heavy-lift crane is expected to be completed by mid-to-late March.

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More heavy-lift capacity

Manufactured by the Liebherr Group in Germany, the LHM 600 evo 6 has been designed and engineered as a larger, more robust version of the last-generation mobile harbour crane. Surpassing its sister crane the LHM 600 evo 5 in size and capabilities, the evo 6 boasts 32 axles, 128 wheels and weighs in at 696 tons, and has a lift capability of up to 154 tons and a jib length of 200 feet. Notably, its 20-container reach allows for containers to be stacked nine high on deck, versus an 18-container reach for the evo 5.

The Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners approved the $7.4 million investment in 2022 to acquire the heavy-lift crane. This cost was partially offset by a $2.8 million grant awarded to the Port by the Florida Department of Transportation.