Hercal adds 200-tonne Liebherr demolition machine to fleet for high-reach projects

The R 980 Demolition has an operating weight of 200 tonnes and a 60-metre reach. (PHOTO: Liebherr)

According to José Calleja, General Manager at Hercal: “The main application areas for the R 980 Demolition will be challenging demolitions at great heights – over 40 metres or complex projects ranging between 20 and 30 metres in height – or mechanical demolitions where time and performance are vital for our clients.”

The machine’s first job will take place at a site in the Zona Franca district of Barcelona, where it will be used to demolish a reinforced concrete structure made up of 18 circular silos and two square silos, each measuring up to 40 metres high.

Hercal said the acquisition of the excavator aligns with the company’s wider growth strategy. “This is an important turning point in our growth plan and in our commitment to sustainable demolition,” said José Calleja. “We want to continue to grow and have the capability to offer an increasingly bespoke response to the demands and needs of our clients.”

Marcos Calleja, CEO of Hercal, added: “We’re especially excited that its debut will be close to our facilities, so we can fine-tune everything and let the whole Hercal team see it in action.”

The new machine joins an existing fleet of Liebherr equipment that includes an R 938 crawler excavator, LH 40 material handler, L 580 XPower and L 566 XPower wheel loaders, and an LR 636 crawler loader. According to the company, this equipment is used on demolition and earthmoving projects and at its H-Zero plant for construction and demolition waste recovery.

The Liebherr R 980 Demolition was developed by Liebherr-France SAS and is available in four configurations with reaches of 21, 26, 36 and 55 metres. The 21-metre and 26-metre versions are capable of operating with 15-tonne attachments, the 36-metre model with 7-tonne tools, and the 55-metre variant with 3-tonne tools.