Facchetti Costruzioni has put Italy's first Liebherr Fibre tower crane to work on one of the most challenging sites imaginable: a steep mountain slope in the Alps near Bovegno, northern Italy. The Liebherr 240 EC-B Fibre is handling all main lifts for a new drinking-water treatment plant that will serve thousands of residents and local businesses in the Val Trompia region. It is already the crane's second deployment, having been delivered to Facchetti in 2025 in partnership with dealer Niederstätter.

The project forms the third and final phase of the integrated Val Trompia water-supply scheme. The crane is lifting reinforcing steel, formwork systems, precast concrete elements and construction materials for the main building, reinforced-concrete water tanks built using the "white tub" waterproofing method (in which waterproofing is integrated directly into the concrete structure) and ancillary structures. Site constraints are severe: the slope is steep, ecologically sensitive, and a medium-voltage power line runs roughly 20 metres from the working area, requiring strict safety protocols on every lift. Before excavation work could begin, the ground was stabilised using micro-piles to ensure slope stability.

Why Fibre Rope Suited This Alpine Build

According to Facchetti Costruzioni, Liebherr's Fibre rope technology proved particularly valuable under these challenging conditions. Compared to conventional steel rope, Fibre rope offers higher load capacity, lower rope weight, simpler monitored maintenance and a longer service life. The technology replaces the crane's conventional steel hoist rope with a high-performance synthetic-fibre rope—the result of more than 15 years of development work and over 87,000 test hours on Liebherr's test benches. Roughly 400 Fibre cranes are now operating worldwide.

The synthetic rope is lighter than steel and can boost load capacity by up to 40 per cent. Thanks to an improved repair procedure, up to 90 per cent of rope damage can now be repaired on-site, rather than requiring costly and time-consuming rope replacement. It is exactly this combination of longevity, repairability and reduced maintenance burden that convinced Facchetti Costruzioni to become the first company in Italy to adopt a Liebherr tower crane with Fibre technology, in partnership with dealer Niederstätter.

What Does Late Entry Into the Italian Market Reveal?

Liebherr introduced Fibre technology more than a decade ago and has deployed roughly 400 units globally—yet Italy has received its first unit only in 2025. The delay is striking, given the country's active construction and infrastructure sectors. Several factors likely contributed: tower-crane rental fleets in Southern Europe tend to renew more slowly than in Central and Northern European markets, where capital-intensive technology updates are accelerated by higher labour costs and tighter project deadlines. Additionally, Fibre cranes carry a premium purchase price, and the business case rests on lower total cost of ownership over years of operation—a calculation that requires long-term project visibility and confidence in rope longevity.

Market acceptance also depends on dealer capability. Niederstätter's willingness to stock, demonstrate and support Fibre technology was essential to Facchetti's decision. Without a dealer prepared to provide training, spare parts and rapid on-site repair support, contractors are unlikely to bet on a premium, relatively unfamiliar system—particularly on a remote Alpine site where downtime carries heavy penalties.

Integration Into Sensitive Alpine Landscape

Integration of the new facility into the surrounding Alpine environment was a design priority. The plant will incorporate timber and natural-stone cladding to reduce visual impact. The site's ecological sensitivity and proximity to protected areas imposed additional constraints on construction logistics, material storage and working hours—constraints that favour a crane technology requiring fewer rope changes, less frequent maintenance visits and lower logistics overhead.

Roberto Facchetti, Commercial Director at Facchetti Costruzioni, commented: "The new drinking-water treatment plant in Bovegno is a strategic infrastructure project for our region, and we are proud to contribute to its construction. For Facchetti Costruzioni, innovation means investing in technologies that improve safety, efficiency and construction quality. Liebherr's solutions enable us to deliver even the most demanding projects reliably, precisely and with outstanding performance. The long-standing partnership between Facchetti Costruzioni and Niederstätter is based on shared values and the tradition of two family-run companies."

What This Means for Future Infrastructure Projects

The Bovegno project offers a template for future infrastructure work in constrained, environmentally sensitive locations. As urban and alpine construction sites face tighter access restrictions, noise limits, emissions controls and working-hour caps, equipment that reduces logistical footprint—fewer deliveries, fewer service visits, longer intervals between major inspections—gains tangible economic value. Fibre rope technology addresses those requirements directly.

For contractors evaluating tower cranes for long-duration projects in difficult terrain, the trade-off is clear: higher upfront equipment cost versus lower operating cost and reduced downtime risk. Facchetti's decision to adopt Fibre technology for its second deployment signals confidence that the business case holds, even in a market where rental rates and project margins are tighter than in Northern Europe.

Competitive Positioning in Southern European Markets

Liebherr's strategy of pairing Fibre technology with strong local dealer networks—exemplified by the Niederstätter partnership—will be critical to expanding adoption in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece, where fleet renewal cycles are longer and contractor risk appetite for new technology tends to be lower. The Bovegno project serves as a high-visibility reference: a demanding Alpine site with strict safety and environmental requirements, successfully executed with a technology that until recently had no track record in Italy.

If Liebherr and its dealers can demonstrate measurable total-cost-of-ownership savings over the next 18 to 24 months—quantified reductions in rope-replacement costs, downtime and service visits—more Italian contractors are likely to follow Facchetti's lead. The alternative scenario is that Fibre remains a niche technology reserved for flagship projects, rather than becoming the standard choice for mid-to-large tower-crane applications.

Industry Context

Facchetti Costruzioni celebrated its 65th anniversary in this year. The company's most recent crane purchase in 2025 was concluded directly with Liebherr's Tower Cranes division at Liebherr-Werk Biberach GmbH by the company's founder. This personal involvement underscores the strategic importance Facchetti attaches to the technology investment and its long-term relationship with the OEM.

For project owners and main contractors planning water-supply, tunnel, dam or bridge projects in difficult terrain, the Bovegno deployment demonstrates that Fibre technology is no longer experimental—it is field-proven under some of the most demanding conditions in Europe. The question now is whether adoption accelerates across Southern Europe or remains confined to early-adopter contractors with the capital base and project pipeline to justify the premium.