Moroccan heavy lifting and exceptional transport specialist Somalev Cranes & Logistics will sponsor the ESTA 50th Anniversary Conference in Amsterdam on 23 October, bringing an African perspective to the organisation’s celebration of five decades of cooperation across the crane and abnormal transport industries.
Founded in 1976, ESTA will mark its 50th anniversary with a conference addressing safety and regulation, sustainability and the energy transition, technological innovation and workforce development.
For Somalev, the partnership reflects growing links between the European and African heavy lifting sectors, particularly as major energy, port and infrastructure projects across Africa demand increasingly sophisticated engineering and safety standards.
The Moroccan company already has a strong connection with the ESTA community. In 2025, Somalev reached the finals of the ESTA Awards of Excellence in the Cranes Lattice Boom category for a wind turbine blade replacement project at the remote Dakhla Wind Farm.
That operation combined a 750-tonne Liebherr LR 1750 crawler crane with a 145 m main boom and a 400-tonne Liebherr LTM 1400-7.1 equipped with an 84 m luffing jib.
Its 2026 awards entry focused on the complete decommissioning of two ship-to-shore container cranes at the Port of Casablanca. Using Liebherr LTM 1400-7.1 and LTM 1250/1 cranes in tandem, Somalev dismantled more than 1,400 tonnes of steel at working heights reaching 70 metres while the terminal remained operational.
“Supporting ESTA for its 50th anniversary is a source of great pride for Somalev. For us, this relationship goes beyond sponsorship: it is about building a lasting bridge between the European and African heavy lifting and transport industries,” said Mohamed Moufid, CEO of Somalev Cranes & Logistics.
The ESTA anniversary conference will take place at Hotel Okura Amsterdam, followed by a dedicated 50th anniversary celebration later that evening.
