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A busy end to January and a solid start to the new month. And where better to kick things off than Southampton Port? A location we know very well - we've got strong links to it from our Liverpool base, and a history of delivering some serious lifting operations down there.
This time? Our flagship crane - the Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 - was called up for duty. And it did not disappoint.
So what's the job?
Battery installations. And not just any batteries - we're talking 42-tonne units going into the ground as part of a large-scale energy storage project at the port.
The bases are being laid now, and once they're done, there are approximately 15 more of these heavy-duty batteries scheduled to go in over the coming months. This isn't a one-off lift. This is a sustained, multi-phase operation - and we're with it every step of the way.
If you haven't seen the Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 in action, you're missing out. This is a serious piece of kit:
- 450-tonne maximum lifting capacity - our biggest crane, and it showed exactly why we invested in it
- 85-metre (279ft) seven-section telescopic boom - one of the longest in its class
- 8-axle all-terrain carrier - meaning it can travel on public roads fully loaded and be up and working fast once on site
- VarioBase® outrigger system - gives us flexibility on tight port sites where space is at a premium
- VarioBallast® technology - adjustable ballast radius means we can adapt to the footprint of the site without compromising on capacity
- Single-engine concept - efficient, powerful, and lower maintenance than twin-engine alternatives
- ECOmode & ECOdrive - because we care about the environment too, not just the lift
This machine can handle jobs normally reserved for cranes in the 500-tonne class. Lifting 42 tonnes? That's well within its stride.
Southampton Port is a hub. It's a location that's seeing serious investment right now - particularly in energy infrastructure and the transition to a more sustainable future. Battery energy storage systems are becoming critical to the UK's grid, and the port is perfectly positioned to be part of that story.
We know this port. We know its challenges - the tight spaces, the logistics, the need for precision. And with our Liverpool roots and years of experience working across the country, Southampton is a natural fit for John Sutch Cranes.
What's happening next? The bases are going in. The batteries are coming. And when they do, we'll be there - lifting, placing, and delivering. Fifteen more batteries. Forty-two tonnes each. One brilliant machine doing what it was built to do.
Paul Parry, Sales Director, John Sutch Cranes, said:
"Southampton is a port we know and respect. When this project came to us, it was an obvious fit - the LTM 1450-8.1 is built for exactly this kind of sustained, heavy-lift operation. We're not just here for one day. We're here for the duration, and we're looking forward to seeing this energy storage project come together. It's the kind of work that shows what this industry is capable of when the right crane meets the right job."
