Four Liebherr 85 EC-B tower cranes are being used in a climate research project above the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, providing scientists with access to the forest canopy at heights exceeding 45m.
The cranes are part of operations at the AmazonFACE experimental site near Manaus, where an international team is studying how old-growth rainforest may respond to higher atmospheric CO₂ concentrations projected for future decades.
The AmazonFACE programme, Brazil and the UK’s largest scientific partnership, is led by the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) in partnership with the University of Campinas (Unicamp).
This project exposes the rainforest to increased CO₂ levels to observe real-time changes in canopy, biodiversity, soil and carbon uptake.
More than 150 specialists are involved, with additional participation from the UK Met Office and researchers from Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and the US.
Findings from the work are intended to inform both Amazonian policy and international climate discussions, including topics raised at COP30, which was held in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025.
The Amazon basin is estimated to store between 150 billion and 200 billion tonnes of carbon. Whether this carbon is retained or released under rising CO₂ levels remains a key question within earth system science.
Tower cranes were chosen for the project over alternative access structures to minimise ground disturbance in the sensitive old-growth forest.
By occupying a small footprint and reaching horizontally across the plots, the cranes allow researchers to collect atmospheric, physiological, and biodiversity data with limited environmental impact.
AmazonFACE has secured all required national authorisations and safety certifications for lifting personnel with these cranes.
Liebherr Brazil application engineer Bruna Prisco said: “Here in the Amazon rainforest, the use of the crane is that scientists can study nature conservation more efficiently.
“The four Liebherr 85 EC-B 5 tower cranes were chosen precisely because they can withstand the extremes of heat and humidity and not disturb the habitat.”
Two of the cranes were built at Liebherr’s plant in Brazil, and two in Spain. Liebherr-Brasil also provides ongoing operator training, maintenance, spare parts supply and technical support for the programme.
The deployment of the cranes was based on technical and operational needs for the AmazonFACE experiment, according to programme organisers.
