Representatives from Liebherr and Yongmao speak to Cameron Hubbard about the Middle East’s tower cranes market, and what the future holds for these super-tall machines.
Tower cranes represent a crucial tool in the modern construction arsenal, sharing city skylines with the very buildings they help create. Yet while the surface-level makeup of these machines may appear to have remained largely unchanged since their first iterations were introduced back in the mid-20th century, the technology behind these lofty luggers is constantly advancing.
Globally, the tower crane market is witnessing high levels of demand. Valued at $5.29 billion in 2021, the sector is on course to reach $7.59 billion by 2027, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% during the period 2023-2027, according to analysis from Mordor Intelligence. And while Asia-Pacific territories are contributing the lion’s share of this demand, largely due to their sizable populations, the Middle East continues to punch above its weight in terms of its tower crane requirements.
The tower cranes that populate modern metropolises can trace their roots back to 1949, when Hans Liebherr dreamt up a machine that could support Germany’s post-war reconstruction efforts. Today, the Switzerland-headquartered conglomerate that bears his name continues to pioneer novel innovations within the heavy-lifting space, and the Middle East is proving receptive to these efforts.
Nikolaus Gstinig, Area Sales Manager – Middle East at Liebherr, tells Plant & Equipment: “We are currently seeing a clear upward trend in regional demand for tower cranes, which stems from numerous gigaprojects in markets such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”
Singapore-headquartered machinery manufacturer, Yongmao Holdings, is also confident in its ability to capitalise on the region’s development ambitions. Jonas Tan, Sales Manager at the company, says: “There are many projects in the pipeline, but we are still waiting for them to kick off. Delays could be due to rising costs and global financing uncertainty. However, we believe that demand will strengthen in the second half of 2023.”
Encouragingly, gigaprojects are not the only developments driving regional demand for tower cranes. “Liebherr units are represented across a wide variety of project types from low-rise to high-rise buildings, the majority of which relate to the residential and commercial sectors,” says Gstinig. “Our cranes have also been involved in the construction of infrastructure projects, such as the UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Power Plant and Turkey’s 1915 Çanakkale Bridge – the longest suspension bridge in the world. In addition to the units themselves, we also provide support through Liebherr Tower Crane Solutions, helping to ensure successful operations for end users.”
Yongmao’s cranes are also proving popular on similarly impressive infrastructure developments, as Tan explains. “One of our proudest projects was the Dubai Waste Management Centre (DWMC), the largest waste-to-energy plant of its kind anywhere on the planet.” Commenting on the models that have proven most sought-after among Middle East customers, he continues: “Yongmao is famous for its mid and large-size tower cranes, which are capable of lifting between 18 and 100 tonnes. Our STT series is our most popular flat-top variant thanks to its ease of assembly and low cost.”
Liebherr is witnessing a similar shift towards flat-top cranes, as Gstinig notes. “Our most popular model in the Middle East is the Liebherr 280 EC-H,” he says. “This has long since been the go-to crane for a variety of projects thanks to its hammerhead design, which offers higher loads at maximum radius allowing for lighter-weight construction. However, building styles and requirements are changing and the trend is heading towards flat-top cranes. The Liebherr NC-B 12-70 is fulfilling this need in the Middle East at present.”
To capitalise on current levels of demand and future-proof its offering over the longer term, Yongmao’s research and development experts are continuously working to maximise the efficiency of their units. “Our new winch design is more energy efficient than our previous system,” says Tan. “Its pin connection uses a hydraulic device to save on labour and time, and because the winch is already attached to the cathead, erection time is also minimised.”
True to its founder’s vision, Liebherr is also investing in fresh innovations to improve productivity and add value for end users. “One of our biggest tower crane-related innovations is our new stronger-fibre rope, which is now produced using a synthetic material instead of steel,” Gstinig explains. “This material offers significant load increases, a longer service life, higher hoisting speeds, reduced maintenance and enhanced safety. Liebherr’s products and innovations within the tower crane segment continue to set new benchmarks in terms of safety and quality.”
So, what are the longer-term priorities for global equipment manufacturers supplying tower cranes to the Middle East? According to Tan, Yongmao intends to build on its recent track record to take advantage of ever-increasing regional demand.
“Yongmao has been quite successful in the Middle East for more than a decade,” he says. “Over the coming year, we foresee that market demand will increase by at least 20% in the UAE and by up to 250% in Saudi Arabia.”
Gstinig is equally optimistic about Liebherr’s future prospects. “Despite external economic difficulties, Liebherr can look back on a positive overall business performance in the Middle East,” he concludes. “Our team has faced these global challenges head-on, and we are now witnessing positive trends in both Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We are therefore optimistic that Liebherr will experience a bright period over the coming years.”