Hoeflon delivers first C30e compact cranes to South Korea

Two rental firms take the first units

The first Hoeflon C30e compact cranes to reach South Korea have gone to GEOMI and WITH CRANE, two rental companies that work mainly on high-tech construction projects. Both operators already hire out smaller Hoeflon machines, and the C30e now becomes the largest model in their compact crane fleets.

The C30e is a fully electric machine. For contractors working inside buildings or in enclosed plant areas, that removes exhaust emissions from the lifting operation altogether and, according to Hoeflon, gives a longer working period between charges than the earlier generation of battery-driven compact cranes.

Semiconductor plants drive demand

South Korea has become one of the faster-growing spider crane markets over the past few years, and much of that growth is tied to the semiconductor industry. Hoeflon machines are in daily use on industrial sites, including the construction and expansion of fabrication plants operated by Samsung and SK Hynix, where access is restricted and lifts often have to be carried out inside finished or partly finished structures.

The C6 and C10 have carried most of that workload so far. The C30e adds more lifting capacity to the same basic concept — a crawler-mounted crane that folds down small enough to pass through a plant doorway and then sets itself up on outriggers.

More operators follow

GEOMI and WITH CRANE are not the only Korean companies to commit to the model. Hoeflon says CHEONAN SPIDER CRANE, DEAHAN CRANE and DEAMYUNG SPIDER CRANE have also ordered the C30e, which points to a wider shift in the Korean rental fleet towards electric compact cranes rather than a single one-off purchase.

Dealer network behind the launch

The introduction has been handled by DONGWOO EMC, Hoeflon’s official dealer in South Korea. The dealer covers sales, technical advice, operator training and on-site service — a point Hoeflon stresses, since compact cranes deployed on semiconductor sites tend to work long hours in conditions where downtime is expensive.

Hoeflon expects demand for electric compact cranes in the country to keep rising as more contractors specify zero-emission plant for indoor and enclosed work.