ESTA Awards 2026: celebrating excellence

The winners of the 2026 ESTA Awards of Excellence lined up on stage at the event in Noordwijk, Netherlands. Photo: Paco van Leeuwen

Check out details of the winning and shortlisted projects in this year’s prestigious Awards of the European association of abnormal road transport and mobile cranes (ESTA).

The 2026 ESTA Awards dinner took place in the Netherlands on 16 April at the five-star Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin in Noordwijk aan Zee, Netherlands.

The 2026 ESTA Awards of Excellence trophies. Photo: Paco van Leeuwen

In what was described as one of the most competitive iterations in the awards’ history, the finalists came from 23 companies and eight countries. ESTA members gathered for a lively evening of networking and dinner, prior to the main event – the awards ceremony.

Details of the winning companies and their projects, plus the other shortlisted entries, listed by category, are as follows:

Combined techniques

Combined techniques category winner Wagenborg Nedlift

Winner

WAGENBORG NEDLIFT

Wagenborg installed a 130-metre-long steel arch bridge, weighing 1,600 tonnes, across the busy Weser River in Stolzenau, Germany. It was achieved using a combination of self propelled modular transporter (SPMT), pontoons, jacking and sliding systems, and supporting equipment. The entire operation was completed within a tight timeframe, thus minimising the period of closure for commercial shipping.

Finalists

Hareket

Mammoet

Sarens.

Abnormal transport, total mass less than 120 tonnes

Abnormal transport, total mass less than 120 tonnes category winner OL-Trans

Winner

OL-TRANS

In co-operation with Liburnia Poland, OL-Trans completed the transport of 15 wind turbine blades, each measuring 77 metres long, in five convoys from the Port of Gdańsk to Ukraine. This 1,150 km operation required meticulous planning and precise execution, as well as co-ordination in conditions of elevated risk due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Finalists

Collett & Sons

Friderici Spécial

Yilnak.

Telescopic cranes, lifting capacity more than 120 tonnes

Telescopic cranes, lifting capacity more than 120 tonnes category winner Autovictor

Winner

AUTOVICTOR

In Bagnolo di Po, Rovigo, Italy, Autovictor installed the new Calà del Moro bridge by lifting two 59 metre, 115 tonne prefabricated steel girders into place. The major challenges involved in this project included tandem lifting across a waterway, restricted working space and the precise co-ordination of cranes and SPMT to ensure the safe positioning of the bridge sections.

Finalists

Aertssen Lifting

BMS

Mammoet.

Safety

Safety category award winner Liebherr

Winner

LIEBHERR-WERK EHINGEN

Liebherr designed the Y-type guying system for the telescopic boom suspension of the LTM 1400-6.1 mobile crane in such a way as to significantly increase safety during assembly. The reduction in the number of assembly steps results in less work at height. Simplified assembly also ensures the safety of operating personnel.

Finalists

Hareket

Yilnak.

Innovation

2026 ESTA Award for innovation winner Sarens

Winner

SARENS

Sarens’ SGC 170 is the world’s largest fully electric ring crane. It can lift up to 3,200 tonnes, with hook heights exceeding 200 metres. Its zero-emission drivetrain, energy recovery system, modular design and rapid relocation capability reduce energy use, downtime and lifecycle impact, setting a new standard for ultra-heavy lifting in modern mega-projects.

Finalists

Fagioli

Manitowoc Cranes

Nooteboom Trailers.

Wagenborg_2BW1608-1.jpg AND-OR Wagenborg_2BW3384.jpg PROB SHOULD CHOOSE ONE

Abnormal transport total mass more than 120 tonnes

2026 ESTA Award abnormal transport total mass more than 120 tonnes category winner Wagenborg Nedlift

Winner

WAGENBORG NEDLIFT

Wagenborg transported six transformers, each weighing 312 tonnes, to the new TenneT substation in Ter Apelkanaal, Netherlands, through a combination of intensive engineering and preparation, while paying careful attention to people and the local environment. The result was an excellent execution to the satisfaction of all involved.

Finalists

Collett & Sons

DB-Pro

MTD Skuratowicz.

Telescopic cranes, lifting capacity less than 120 tonnes

Telescopic cranes, lifting capacity less than 120 tonnes category winner Mammoet

Winner

MAMMOET

Upgrading large equipment in a refinery in Antwerp, Belgium, required removing and installing modules in a heavily congested process area obstructed by newer structures. Mammoet addressed the challenge using Move3D modelling to create a virtual replica of the site, enabling precise lift planning, safe access and efficient execution within tight spatial constraints.

Finalists

BKV

Friderici Spécial

Senn.

Cranes lattice boom

ESTA Awards 2026 category Cranes, lattice boom, winner Mammoet

Winner

MAMMOET

As part of maintenance activities at ExxonMobil’s Fawley Refinery in the UK, Mammoet supported the exchange of a reactor head in the Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC) unit. The company’s Focus30 crane replaced the old 356 tonne reactor head with ease, while occupying a space only slightly larger than a five-a-side football pitch.

Finalists

Aertssen Lifting

Autovictor

Fratelli Paradiso.

SPMT/SPT

ESTA Awards 2026 SPMT/SPT category winner Fagioli

Winner

FAGIOLI

In October 2025 Fagioli transported two massive ship blocks for the SAMA vessel – a fore block weighing 4,662 tonnes and an aft block weighing 5,825 tonnes, from Porto Nogaro in Italy, to Rijeka, Croatia. Using SPMT and the barge Arcalupa, the blocks were loaded, shipped, offloaded, and precisely aligned, enabling safe, on-schedule final assembly through coordinated marine transport and planning.

Finalists

Allelys

Sarens

Wagenborg Nedlift.

Training

ESTA Awards 2026 category Training winner Liebherr

Winner

LIEBHERR-WERK EHINGEN

Liebherr’s “Game of Cranes” is an innovative, international competition to motivate mobile crane operators worldwide to develop their skills and compete with the best in the industry. The project combines practical and theoretical challenges, fosters talent development, and places a strong focus on safety and professionalism.

Finalists

BMS

Spierings Mobile Cranes.

Presenting the Gino Koster Award in 2026. Photo: Paco van Leeuwen

Gino Koster award

In a surprise move, following ESTA director Ton Klijn’s retirement, he was awarded the Gino Koster award. This is only presented to people who have made an outstanding contribution to the industry. Pictured from left, Ton Klijn, Fabio Belli, ESTA president, and David Collett, ESTA chairman and former president.