Italy’s first Liebherr Fibre crane builds Val Trompia water plant

240 EC-B Fibre takes on mountainside water plant as fibre-rope technology arrives in Italy

High in Val Trompia, contractor Facchetti Costruzioni is building the Bovegno drinking water treatment plant with a Liebherr 240 EC-B Fibre — the first tower crane in Italy to run Liebherr’s fibre hoist rope, supplied in collaboration with dealer Niederstätter.

The Bovegno plant is the third and final phase of the Val Trompia integrated water supply programme, which will secure a modern and reliable drinking water supply for thousands of residents and businesses in the Lombardy valley. The flat-top crane, now on its fourth deployment, is handling every major lift of the civil works: reinforcing steel, formwork systems, precast concrete elements and equipment for the main building, the reinforced-concrete water tanks and the auxiliary structures. The tanks are being cast with the watertight White Tank system, which builds waterproofing directly into the concrete rather than applying it afterwards.

Tight mountain site with a live power line

The site sits on the side of a mountain in an environmentally sensitive area, with a medium-voltage power line running only about 20 metres from the working zone — a constraint that imposes strict procedures on every lift. Before excavation began, the ground was stabilised with micropiles, and the finished plant will be dressed in timber and natural stone to blend into the Alpine landscape. In these conditions, according to Facchetti Costruzioni, the fibre rope’s higher lifting capacity, lower rope weight, monitored maintenance regime and longer service life all count.

Fifteen years of development, 400 cranes in service

Liebherr’s fibre-rope technology replaces the conventional steel hoist rope with a high-performance synthetic rope developed over more than 15 years and tested for over 87,000 hours on the manufacturer’s rig. Around 400 Fibre cranes now operate worldwide. The rope is lighter than steel and can raise load capacities by up to 40 per cent, while an improved repair process means up to 90 per cent of rope damage can now be fixed on site instead of forcing a full replacement. That mix of durability and repairability persuaded Facchetti Costruzioni to become the technology’s first user in Italy.

“The new Bovegno Drinking Water Treatment Plant is a strategic infrastructure project for our region, and we are proud to contribute to its construction. At Facchetti Costruzioni, innovation means investing in technologies that improve safety, efficiency and construction quality. Liebherr solutions allow us to tackle even the most demanding projects with reliability and precision and outstanding performance. The long-standing partnership between Facchetti Costruzioni and Niederstätter is built on shared values and the tradition of two family-run companies, just like Liebherr.”

— Roberto Facchetti, Managing Director, Facchetti Costruzioni

Facchetti Costruzioni marks its 65th anniversary this year. Its most recent crane purchase, in 2025, was concluded personally by the company’s founder at Liebherr’s tower crane plant in Biberach.