Germany’s Dillinger supplies steel plates to Liebherr for energy transition applications

Germany’s Dillinger is supplying high-strength steel for equipment manufacturer Liebherr’s HLC 295000 heavy lift crane for energy transition applications, the steel platemaker said in a Jan. 19 statement.

The steel being supplied is up to 220 mm thick, meeting special requirements for yield strength, impact strength, and specific properties related to plate thickness.

Liebherr’s largest-ever crane, with lifting height up to 175 meters and load capacity up to 5,000 mt, has uses including in dismantling disused offshore oil and gas production facilities, and the installation of foundations for offshore wind turbines, recently at the Arcadis Ost 1 wind farm off the island of Rügen, where Dillingen Group’s Steelwind Nordenham subsidiary supplied XXL monopiles for the wind farm.

The crane is located offshore, installed on the Orion, a purpose-built vessel belonging to the Belgian DEME Group.

Domestic prices for heavy plate increased in Europe in the week ended Jan. 13, supported by strong mill order books and seasonal demand revival.

Rerollers have had to aim for higher prices and are expected to continue attempts to move prices further due to high slab and energy costs, market sources said.

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed heavy plate in Northern Europe up Eur15 ($16.22) on the week at Eur940/mt ex-works Ruhr Jan. 13.

— Diana Kinch