CargoLifter AG was founded on the basis of a VDMA study in 1996 together with plant engineering companies such as ABB, Linde and Siemens with the clearly defined purpose of "developing, building and operating the CL 160". The only task was this great solution, no more - but also no less! We did not achieve this goal in the short innovation phase 1996-2000 and had to file for bankruptcy in the wake of the economic crisis in 2002, also due to a lack of support from industry and politics. Since then, many myths and legends have been circulating about the why. The “CargoLifter story” is in progress and when it is published you will have the opportunity to take a deep look behind the “published opinion”. Since May 2014, after a long struggle, we have had access to the original films from the CargoLifter time from 1996 to 2002 again. The statements of the participants in the technical hearing after the bankruptcy proceedings have never been published are particularly interesting. Not one of the experts questioned the feasibility! The fact is: CargoLifter AG is in bankruptcy - but not the thought. And that's why there is the "new" CL CargoLifter GmbH & Co. KG aA (CL KG)! It is also a fact that the transport problems are bigger today than they were then and neither the established, state-funded technology groups nor one of the numerous airship projects around the world have created an available solution! Even 12 years after the bankruptcy, CargoLifter is still the benchmark! Never before and never after has 55 t of individual weight been lifted by a lighter-than-air device. Sometimes you hear that the name CargoLifter has been "burned"! This corresponds to the style of speech of those who wanted to ensure that CargoLifter never exist again. This phrase is most widespread in Germany. In the world it looks completely different. CargoLifter was not unknown to one of our interlocutors at the logistics trade fairs in Munich or Sao Paulo. In the professional world, CargoLifter is synonymous with cargo airships. The professional world regrets the abrupt end of 2002 and is pleased to hear that we are still / back. Even in Germany, CargoLifter is acceptable again since the Minister of Transport gave us the membership certificate of the Logistics Alliance Germany. Our logo is now emblazoned in front of DB Mobility Networks Logistics and Deutsche Post DHL. As the minister remarked so nicely at the presentation: “CargoLifter is alive!” The step-by-step approach! If "CargoLifter 1.0" received the CL 160 for large-scale plant construction from the industry, "CargoLifter 2.0" was able to set its own goals based on experience gained from technology and, above all, market knowledge from the years 1996-2002. The starting point is the balloon crane system (BKS), which is still based on the experiments in 2002. The BKS can lift further than the crane's booms allow and can lift more than 20 t step by step. This approach allows you to go from small to large and from short to far - step by step, with the next level building on the previous one, from the small stationary balloon to the large transport airship!
We have proven that our balloon crane system works in wind and weather. We have improved the operational scenarios. We can (and may!) Use hydrogen as a lifting gas and we can recompress helium! We cut the cost! We have expanded the solutions downwards and created an entry-level product. But we have also conceptually expanded the product range from top to bottom - from balloon cranes to AirTrucks to large airships: