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As the new year arrives, along the Beibu Gulf, the petrochemical integration project in Guangxi is gaining new momentum. As one of the core chemical units of the project, Sinopec’s first propylene oxide-styrene (POSM) co-production plant has withstood operational tests. The completion and operation of this facility have established a crucial link in Guangxi Petrochemical’s transformation from a \"fuel-oriented\" enterprise to one focused on chemical materials. Li Yiming, project manager at Global Beijing, the joint general contractor for the project, said that this is the first time Global Beijing has undertaken the EPC general contracting for a similar facility. He and his team blazed a path forward by trial and error, racing against time and overcoming complex challenges; they managed to achieve successful operation in just 24 months, and completed the entire process within 48 hours, setting a new record for the construction of similar facilities in China. The engineering ingenuity embodied in a incinerator: In the petrochemical chain, the POSM unit is a key component. “The Guangxi POSM project features 35 towers, 21 reactors, and over 400 rotating equipment, covering an area larger than that of an ethylene plant. At the same time, the process route adopted for the device is not yet perfect; if a certain ‘pain point’ is not handled properly, it will become a problem that affects the device’s operation in the future. ”Li Yiming said. The waste alkali incinerator is that heavy stone pressing on the heart. In several similar installations that have been built in China, the waste alkali incinerators often struggle to operate for extended periods due to various reasons, which severely affects the efficiency of these installations. Where lies the root of the problem? They formed a capable technical research team and traveled to Yantai, Ningbo, Quanzhou and other places to conduct in-depth investigations into the devices that had encountered problems; the process was full of difficulties and challenges. Based on this first-hand information, the team decided to shift from \"passive review\" to \"proactive action\". Before issuing the tender for the entire set of equipment, they transformed all the risk factors identified through their research into specific, detailed, and stringent technical requirements, established non-negotiable design parameters for key aspects, and used technical specifications to select high-quality suppliers, thereby eliminating the risk of compromising quality in order to save money from the very beginning. Ultimately, the winning supplier completed the design within the \"technical framework\" established by the project team, laying a solid foundation for the smooth operation of the waste alkali incinerator. The construction speed witnessed by the two reactors: If the waste alkali incinerator is the “liver” of the POSM system, then the two oxidation reactors are undoubtedly its “heart”. It is a \"giant\" that is 45 meters long, with a diameter of over 9 meters and a weight of more than 700 tons. The project team launched an engineering battle against time to deal with the tasks related to its design, manufacturing, and transportation. “These two devices are large in size, have long manufacturing cycles, and require high standards for installation. Based on past project experience, if the transitions between various stages are not carefully planned in advance, the overall progress cannot be guaranteed. ”The team decided to save time by starting from the source. During the design phase, they creatively proposed a \"surgical\" optimization approach: removing these two \"hearts\" from the framework of the \"chest cavity\" and placing them separately in the open areas at the edges of the installation zone, thereby leaving sufficient space for other installation tasks. “A change in layout brings everything to life. ”Li Yiming said, “The new plan saves the project at least two months of time.” ” However, the real test lies in transportation. The equipment manufacturing site is located on the banks of the Yangtze River, and at the time of shipment it was during the dry season, when tankers of 10,000 tons could not dock there. The project team was on-site to coordinate the efforts, carrying out emergency dredging of the harbor basin; it took 5 days to finally enable the two large vessels to set sail by boat. They had to take shelter in port and wait out a typhoon along the way. At the last moment, Li Yiming led his team to stay at the Qinzhou port for 48 consecutive hours, coordinating resources from various parties and overseeing 24/7 operations, until the two \"steel giants\" were delivered to the project site on schedule. The “minor issues” that arise on site also require immediate attention. During the inspection of the vacuum valves upon arrival at the warehouse, the on-site team discovered that the materials of the valve body and the valve cover were not identical. Purchasing manager Lin Ziran immediately coordinated and confirmed: \"Although using higher-grade materials in place of lower-grade ones meets the specifications, we cannot overlook any potential issues.\" ”The project department promptly organized a joint inspection team, which completed the non-destructive testing and re-inspection of 70 installed valves within 1 day, confirming that all of them were qualified. The rapid response of the design can be seen everywhere. During a critical phase of the construction of compressor K-0330, the contractor reported that it was impossible to connect the flue gas pipes; Han Yanhai, the chief design representative, immediately initiated an emergency response. “While contacting the manufacturer to send replacement parts, the design was revised overnight to ensure that the new drawings were delivered to the construction team the following day. ”At the same time, the design team used this as a precedent to conduct a thorough inspection of other devices in order to prevent problems before they arose. This seamless inter-departmental coordination and rapid response have become the \"key to success\" for the project in overcoming numerous obstacles. It took only 12 months from manufacturing to installation of the oxidation reactor, and the project took nearly a year less time from design to commissioning compared to similar plants that have already been built. A group of people whose efforts shine like stars. It took 24 months to build such a complex chemical processing facility; behind this \"world-class speed\" is a young and resilient team. The core team of the project consists of less than 20 members, all of whom are experienced professionals with 10 to 15 years of experience. “When facing a brand-new project, we need experience, but we also shouldn’t be constrained by it. ”Li Yiming said. The process package is new, the tasks involved are new, and the team’s management philosophy is to turn the meeting room into a “surgery room” – where everyone works together to address problems, focusing their efforts on solving them. The team’s efforts go far beyond that. During the design peak period, a major sudden change occurred in the process package; 50 updates required modifications to nearly one-third of the drawings, some units had to be redone from scratch, and several procurement packages were forced to be suspended. “It’s like being driving at full speed on the highway when you’re suddenly asked to switch lanes. ”Han Yanhai recalled, “We would all gather in the meeting room without any prior arrangement, even at 9 p.m.” ” Today, the device has been operating steadily for over two months, producing high-quality products continuously, with its key performance indicators reaching a leading level in China. As operational data continues to accumulate, its role as a \"industry benchmark\" becomes increasingly significant: it is not only a benchmark for construction speed, but also a comprehensive benchmark for operational efficiency, environmental performance, and product quality.