Filling the gap between 120 and 300 tonnes: Haji Hassan Cranes renews its Bahraini fleet
Bahraini crane rental company Haji Hassan Cranes has ordered one Liebherr LTM 1160-5.2 and two LTM 1090-4.2 mobile cranes, taking its fleet to 13 machines and retiring two ageing 80-tonne cranes in the process.
A deliberate gap in the fleet
Haji Hassan Cranes runs all-terrain cranes from 50 to 500 tonnes and aims to cover most of Bahrain’s mobile crane demand with a workforce of around 30. The LTM 1160-5.2 was bought to fill an identified hole between the company’s 120-tonne and 300-tonne machines — a class that, on a small island market, decides whether a job goes out to a competitor or stays in-house. Liebherr rates the five-axle crane at a maximum 180 tonnes.
The two LTM 1090-4.2s are replacements rather than additions, taking over from two ageing 80-tonne cranes. Operations supervisor Deepak Pillai puts the case for them in terms a rental yard recognises: short set-up time, a 60-metre main boom and lifting performance that lets awkward jobs be done quickly. Both types come with VarioBase and VarioBallast.
A repeat purchase
The company’s earlier Liebherr purchases were an LTM 1500-8.1 and an LTM 1070-4.2, and general manager Manaf Al Sarabi frames the new order as a continuation of that experience rather than a fresh evaluation.
“Our previous purchases from Liebherr, the LTM 1500-8.1 and the LTM 1070-4.2, have proved to be a wise decision. Thanks to these cranes, we were able to safely plan and execute a wide range of lifting operations, giving us a competitive advantage in the market.”
— Manaf Al Sarabi, General Manager, Haji Hassan Cranes
Al Sarabi points to technical advice, spare parts supply and round-the-clock customer service as the reasons for staying with the manufacturer, and adds transparency in dealings to the list — a recurring theme among fleet owners in markets where the nearest depot is a long way off.
Where the cranes will work
Haji Hassan is involved in most major construction work in Bahrain, and the new machines are expected to spread across a wide range of duties: lifting in oil refineries, steelworks and petrochemical plants, general construction, erection of precast concrete elements, loading work, sewage treatment plant extensions and the handling of heating, ventilation and air conditioning plant.
That breadth is why the mid-range all-terrain matters more here than a headline capacity figure. A 160-tonne class crane that can be rigged quickly and reach 60-odd metres covers the majority of industrial maintenance and building work on the island without the mobilisation cost of the 500-tonne machine.
Source: Liebherr — Photos: Liebherr