Crane technology for deep-underground operations
The crane features specialized equipment to meet the unique demands of the pumped-storage power plant. In addition to a main trolley with a 20-tonne load capacity, the crane is equipped with a 2-tonne angled trolley—featuring a specially designed personnel winch—to transport people via a basket into the 160-meter-deep shaft.
For safety reasons, this angled trolley has its own independent electrical control system. This allows personnel transport to take place at any time, independently of the main trolley—a crucial requirement for a safe and flexible operation deep underground.
However, the true standout feature is the depth: with a hook path of 160 meters, the crane is specifically designed for the use within the shaft and the underground cavern.
Limberg III: A power plant built entirely underground
The Limberg III pumped-storage power plant is being constructed entirely underground, situated between the two existing reservoirs—Mooserboden and Wasserfallboden—in Kaprun.
The major project includes, among other things, the construction of approximately three kilometers of headrace tunnels and a pressure shaft roughly 770 meters long. Upon completion, Limberg III will add another 480 MW of capacity—in both turbine and pump modes—to the Glockner-Kaprun power plant complex.
Brunnhuber crane supports the energy transition
Pumped-storage power plants play a vital role in the energy transition. They make it possible to store vast amounts of electrical energy and release it rapidly when electricity demand rises or when other renewable energy sources are generating less power. With Limberg III, the existing infrastructure in Kaprun is being strategically expanded to meet the needs of a power system increasingly reliant on renewable energy.
For BRUNNHUBER CRANES, this project serves as another example of how custom-engineered crane solutions must perform under even the most extraordinary operating conditions. A 160-meter hook path, deep-underground operation, and a dedicated solution for personnel transport make this shaft crane a truly unique piece of engineering - Made In Germany.
