Laing O’Rourke announces $12m investment in electric equipment
Global engineering and construction company Laing O’Rourke has announced the acquisition of a series of electric plant and vehicles bound for local infrastructure projects.
Launching Australia’s first renewable fleet of 250t crawler cranes and telehandlers
This is the first investment of its type for the Australian construction sector and is part of the company’s efforts to reduce scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions and reach operational net zero by 2030.
Australia’s first two 250 tonne electric crawler cranes will arrive in early 2023, with the first arrival to be deployed on a Western Australian infrastructure project.
Managed by Select Plant Australia, a subsidiary of Laing O’Rourke, the two Liebherr LR 1250.1 fully electric lattice jib crawler cranes produce zero emissions while offering the same performance as their diesel-powered counterparts.
In another first for the Australian construction sector, Laing O’Rourke will add a fleet of 2.5 tonne electric telehandlers to Select’s growing range of electric plant and equipment. The ten Manitou MT 625E model telehandlers produce zero emissions and very low noise, helping to improve operator awareness and communication with other workers.
These acquisitions will add to the 8.5 tonne SEA electric trucks, 3 tonne electric teletruks, electric plate compactors, lighting solutions and battery energy storage systems which are already in use by Select on Australian construction sites.
Rebecca Hanley, Managing Director – Australia at Laing O’Rourke, said the purchase of pioneering electric plant was evidence of the company’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and sector leadership.
