PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT | MHC AND STC CRANES


choose Liebherr based on the value it delivers throughout the lifetime of the equipment. “We remain confident in the strength of our


products, our global service network and our long-term customer relationships,” it adds. For port operators and terminal owners, investment decisions are increasingly based on life cycle performance rather than upfront acquisition cost alone. Factors such as availability, operational productivity, energy efficiency, cyber security, service responsiveness, spare parts availability and long-term upgrade potential all play an important role when evaluating port equipment. Security and reliability have also become


For port operators and terminal owners, investment decisions are increasingly based on life cycle performance rather than upfront acquisition costs alone.


However, Liebherr told DLM that it has not seen a significant shift towards life extension over new crane investment. “Both markets are active, and customers continue to invest in new STS cranes while also looking at ways to maximise the value of existing assets,” it adds. It defines the typical customer journey as beginning with an evaluation as to whether a crane can be upgraded, modernised or life- extended before committing to a replacement. “In many cases, this can be a very effective option, particularly when the existing crane structure remains in good condition,” it says. Liebherr supports this through a range of services. Liebherr Transform enables customers to upgrade existing cranes with new technologies, increase capacity, improve productivity and even adapt cranes to changing vessel requirements. Liebherr Reman focuses on the remanufacturing of key components, restoring them to as-new condition and extending their service life. “Together, these programmes help customers maximise asset value while supporting our customers operational and environmental targets,” it adds.


STS crane height and outreach increase show how existing Liebherr cranes can be adapted to meet changing vessel requirements. At Port Liberty, formerly Global Container Terminals (GCT) New York, four Liebherr STS cranes were upgraded with an 8.6m lift-height increase and a 5m outreach extension, enabling them to continue serving the terminal for many more years while accommodating larger vessels.


Based on Rebel’s research, the used crane


market has also taken a dive. “Newer models are more sustainable, and have more modern technologies such as the control systems,” says Van der Poel. “We would expect to see a global ports operator cascade their older crane to new


terminals in the global south. However, decommissioning and transportation of these cranes is very expensive, so bringing in a new crane could avoid these headaches. A new crane is plug and play, and you know it is built exactly for your application.”


Chinese competition ZPMC continued to dominate STS sales, with Rebel calculating that the Chinese OEM was responsible for almost 70% of all STS crane deliveries last year. “Ports buy cranes from ZPMC for a reason, and we think it is down to price,” says Van der Poel. Measures that Europe and the US could take include tariffs such as those already implemented in the US and looking at the cyber security angle. There could also be more emphasis on upgrading existing cranes. The new EU port strategy outlines its objective as, ‘a fair global competition for EU shipyards and equipment manufacturers’. While it makes no specific mention of STS cranes, the language used leans towards export financing mechanisms. Rebel remains unsure that this will be sufficient. “Investment alone might not be enough to keep crane production in Europe as these manufacturers are now in a very competitive market,” adds Van der Poel. Konecranes declines to comment about


restrictions or tariffs. “What we can express is that we are confident about the performance and long service life of our port equipment,” it adds. “Especially in combination with our proven services, we see a very attractive and globally competitive total cost of ownership of the STS cranes for our customers.” Liebherr’s focus is on competing through innovation, quality, reliability and customer support rather than through trade barriers. It says its priority is to continue investing in technology, automation, product development and service support so that customers


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increasingly important considerations in modern terminal operations. Liebherr continues to invest in robust control architectures, data management, remote operation technologies and service support structures that help customers operate efficiently while maintaining high operational resilience. “Ultimately, our objective is straightforward:


to provide high-performance container handling solutions backed by long- term partnership, technical expertise and dependable support,” it adds. “That commitment has guided Liebherr Container Cranes’ development for over half a century and continues to shape how we support ports and terminals around the world.”


Fluid future The Rebel report highlights that new STS cranes represent around 2.5% of growth in installed handling capacity. This is significantly below the estimated 4% growth in global container handling capacity last year. However, Van der Poel warns against taking the previous year’s data as a direct indicator of how 2026 will play out in terms of STS crane orders. “Ports are global, sophisticated operations and also very forward-looking,” he says. “Deliveries made in 2025 were ordered a few years ago. The situation today is much more uncertain due to the geopolitical situation. It could be that orders are delayed and pushed back.” In the near future, he anticipates that deliveries will go ahead as planned. “You probably won’t see an impact in the short or medium term,” he adds. “But long term, if the geopolitical situation stabilises, we will see growth. There is still a fundamental demand because we are still in a growing container market, with more containers shipped every year.” He also expects to see ports investing in bigger cranes to handle larger vessels. “The key message is that there is uncertainty but there is also a fundamental demand for container shipping, which continues to positively impact container crane growth.”


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