IN FOCUS / SPT BATTERY ELECTRIC MINI CRAWLERS
With sustainability and the reduction of carbon footprints on the agenda of crane hire businesses, there is a definite move to battery electric cranes, particuarly in the mini crane sector.
SPT BATTERY ELECTRIC MINI CRAWLERS GROWING IN POPULARITY MICHAEL KHAMAS, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR for SPT’s national distributor Jones Equipment, discussed the rise in demand for the battery electric range of SPT mini crawler cranes. “SPT’s battery electric range are being sold all around the world and the demand is high in mature markets, such as Europe, and also all over Asia. The demand for battery electric mini crawler cranes is only going to increase,” said Khamas. “The push for more sustainability and less emissions in the crane and lifting sector is driving the demand, and major crane hire companies are 92 / CAL March/April 2022
looking to do the right thing from an environmental point of view. Running costs are also dramatically higher when using diesel fuels over battery operated power. “The demand is also being driven by industry sectors where fuel emissions are not acceptable, and this includes most indoor applications, e.g., food processing plants where a mini crawler might be required for maintenance work or a shutdown,” he said. There are currently three SPT mini crane models available in the battery electric option says Khamas.
“The SPT factory has been manufacturing the battery electric range for a couple of years now and, at the moment, it is manufacturing battery electric versions, including the two-tonne capacity SPT 199, the three-tonne capacity SPT 299 and the five-tonne capacity 499, and the engineering team is currently developing a battery electric version of the largest crane in the range, the SPT 1009. “The SPT 199 is only 600mm wide and will fit through a standard doorway. It has a lifting capacity of 2t at 2m and a maximum working www.cranesandlifting.com.au
