A specialised transport ship will depart for Hamburg early on Saturday morning
One of the cranes being loaded onto the ship today (Image: Doyle Shipping Group)
Rebels will be familiar with many of Cork’s most famous exports: Beamish, Murphy’s, Clonakilty sausages, Cillian Murphy – but many will be surprised to learn that some of the largest container cranes used in shipyards across the globe are assembled right here in Cork.
The cranes are manufactured by Liebherr, a Killarney-based company known worldwide for its expertise in designing and manufacturing these enormous cranes, which can reach more than 150m in height – over twice as tall as the Elysian.
While the cranes are manufactured in Killarney, they’re assembled at the Cork Dockyard, with skilful crews working hard to ensure every bolt and weld is in place before the monstrous metal structures take to the water. This latest batch is being sent to the shipyard in Hamburg, and they certainly don’t come cheap.
The precise cost of the cranes is not publicly available, but a similar project in Cork, carried out by the engineering firm MWP in 2017, was estimated at €30m, including manufacturing, assembly, and shipping costs.
Even moving the cranes aboard the ship is a delicate process, with dozens of workers operating heavy machinery to load the 2,000-tonne cranes without tipping them over. It’s a very slow and careful operation, as a significant error could cause the cranes to plunge into the sea.
Thankfully, as of this afternoon, the three cranes have been successfully loaded aboard the Zhong Ren 121, a specialised Chinese transport ship that’s a marvel of engineering in its own right. The heavy load carrier is 169m long and 40m wide and has previously been used to transport enormous shore to ship cranes out of Cork.
The loading operation was carried out by the Doyle Shipping Group, and the company said the public is welcome to watch the cranes depart from viewing points across Cobh and the wider Port of Cork area – although anyone who wants a good look will need to be up bright and early.
Sharing an update on social media, a spokesperson for the company said: “This week at Doyle Shipping Group’s Cork Terminal in Cobh, three Liebherr Ship to Shore cranes were successfully loaded onto the Zhong Ren 122.
“We are proud to support Liebherr Cranes in this major operation and would like to extend our thanks to Liebherr, Jumbo SAL, Sarens, and the Port of Cork for their professionalism and expertise throughout what was a significant engineering feat.
“Anyone interested in seeing this impressive vessel head out from Cork Harbour is welcome to watch from safe public viewing points around Cobh and lower Cork Harbour.”
The Zhong Ren 122 is scheduled to depart tomorrow, Saturday, March 28, at 7 am.