Belgium's HEBO Acquires 800-Ton Floating Crane from Port of Antwerp-Bruges

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 17, Dutch maritime engineering services provider HEBO Maritiemservice acquired the self-propelled floating crane Brabo from the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The equipment has a maximum lifting capacity of 800 tons and will enter HEBO's offshore heavy-lift equipment fleet upon completion of the transaction. The transaction amount was not disclosed.

Built in 1981, the Brabo has a hull length of 60 meters, a width of 27.5 meters, an overall height of approximately 65 meters, and a draft of about 3.2 meters. It is primarily used for offshore lifting and transfer of large port equipment, bridge components, lock gates, and other heavy cargo. Since its commissioning, the floating crane has completed over 6,000 tasks, performed approximately 13,700 lifts, and handled a total cargo volume of about 2 million tons.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges had previously decided to cease operations of the Brabo. With aging equipment, rising maintenance and modernization costs, and its certificates set to expire in 2026, the port chose to delegate future large-scale lifting needs to specialized maritime engineering companies and sought a buyer for the Brabo through a market process.

HEBO is primarily engaged in offshore heavy lifting, special transport, infrastructure construction, salvage, and emergency response operations, with a fleet that includes various types of floating cranes, lifting barges, tugboats, and work vessels. The acquisition of the Brabo will add 800-ton-class offshore lifting equipment to its portfolio for port infrastructure, bridge, and lock engineering projects.