Revenue in the maritime cranes product segment reached the record level of €1,012 million in the 2024 business year, representing an increase of €35 million or 3.6 % year-on-year.

In 2024, the global port handling market continued to stabilise despite challenging conditions. Geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainties and supply chain disruptions resulted in cautious investments and slower order intake. Growth was driven by strong demand in offshore cranes and container cranes. Falling interest rates created a more favourable economic environment. Despite a slight fall in revenue, the mobile harbour crane has claimed its leading position on the global market. The market for ship cranes and transshipment cranes remained stable overall, maintaining a consistent level of demand.

There were significant variations in Liebherr’s business in the different regions. In the European Union, overall growth was recorded, with particularly successful results in Germany and Spain. By contrast, the non-EU countries experienced a decline in revenue. There was also a downturn in business in North, Central and South America, most likely driven by a cautious investment climate due to economic uncertainties. In the Africa, Near and Middle East region, revenue development was positive. There was favourable overall development in the Asia and Oceania region, primarily due to strong sales in India.

In 2024, Liebherr focused on decarbonisation measures across its maritime cranes production sites and on adopting a comprehensive strategy for carbon reduction by 2030.

Significant product developments included a prototype offshore crane with the LiMain remote maintenance and remote control system, minimising on-site operations and carbon emissions. The introduction of the longer boom on the LHM 800 mobile harbour crane enhances handling efficiency and flexibility, while future product development will focus on electrification, automation and climate adaptation.

In the container cranes area, Liebherr secured an order in the western USA for the first time, and supplied the first automated dual trolley ship to shore cranes in Europe. Sales of the hybrid RTG remained successful. This utilises energy-saving technologies to significantly reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Underscoring Liebherr’s dedication to digitalisation and electrification, the company also focused on the General Purpose Offshore (GPO) portfolio, developing fully electric crane variants to meet the growing demand for sustainable solutions in the offshore sector. The latest version of the LiSIM crane simulator was launched with a unique ‘hardware-in-the-loop’ architecture. This replicates the operation of Liebherr cranes, enabling realistic training scenarios.

A challenging market in the maritime cranes product segment is expected for 2025. Yet, a positive trend in incoming orders and the stable development of a variety of projects allow scope for optimism. With a solid order backlog, Liebherr is well-positioned for a positive outlook in the upcoming business year.