Moroccan lifting company orders 10 Liebherr cranes as it eyes European expansion
Founded in Casablanca 12 years ago, Somalev now employs around 400 people and aims to compete with Europe’s leading industrial lifting specialists. The Moroccan company has just ordered 10 cranes from German manufacturer Liebherr and is preparing projects in southern Europe.
Mohamed Moufid, founder and CEO of Somalev, wants to make his company an international player in heavy lifting. Founded in 2014 in Casablanca, the company now has around 400 employees. Its head describes it as an entirely Moroccan company, both in its ownership and its workforce. Its ambition: “To prove that a company founded in Casablanca can compete with the best,” he said in a statement published by Liebherr on November 9.
Somalev works on sites requiring the movement of particularly heavy loads. Its activities include industrial facilities, port infrastructure and wind farms. At the port of Casablanca, its teams dismantled two cargo gantry cranes for Marsa Maroc, involving around 1,400 tonnes of steel, while keeping the terminal operating.
The company has also taken part in several wind power projects, notably in Dakhla, Taza and Koudia El Baida. In 2025, it became the first Moroccan and African company to reach the finals of the ESTA Awards, a European competition dedicated to lifting and special transport. In Munich, it took second place in the lattice-boom crane category.
Ten new German cranes as Somalev sets its sights on Europe
To support its growth, Somalev has just ordered 10 mobile cranes from German manufacturer Liebherr. Six have lifting capacities of between 50 and 60 tonnes, two can lift 110 tonnes, while the other two have capacities of 230 and 250 tonnes, respectively. They are due to be delivered before the end of 2026.
The machines will join a fleet already equipped with mobile and crawler cranes, including a Liebherr model capable of lifting up to 750 tonnes. Around 70% of Somalev’s machines are made by the German manufacturer, which has been the company’s partner for 12 years.
The new equipment will be used in wind farm construction, port handling, oil and gas facilities, and industrial projects. Its telemetry system will allow teams to remotely monitor various operating parameters, including the load being lifted and fuel consumption.
Mohamed Moufid also announced plans for projects in southern Europe and partnerships with international companies specializing in lifting. The ambition is backed by an organization already present in several regions of Morocco, with seven operational bases spanning Tanger Med to Dakhla.
