【Major Chemical Equipment Innovations】From 2014 to 2020, Shandong developed China’s first set of large-diameter ultra-low temperature LNG loading and unloading arms for ships

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On the morning of June 8, 2020, two large-diameter ultra-low temperature ethane/LNG ship loading and unloading arms manufactured by Shandong Guanzhuo Heavy Industry Technology Co., Ltd. successfully passed the final pre-shipment test, which involved a full-load separation test using liquid nitrogen at -196°C as the testing medium. Thus, after 10 years of research and development and half a year of production, China’s first set of intelligent, large-diameter, ultra-low temperature ethane/LNG ship loading and unloading arms was manufactured in Rizhao. In recent years, China’s liquefied natural gas industry has developed rapidly, particularly as demand for gas for domestic and industrial use has increased significantly. Numerous LNG receiving station projects have been established along the coast, leading to a rapid rise in the volume of liquefied natural gas transported by ships. As the construction of LNG terminals progresses, the market demand for LNG cryogenic loading and unloading arms is increasing steadily. Large-diameter ultra-low temperature ethane/LNG loading and unloading arms are suitable for handling liquid media at -196 degrees Celsius, and their applications include LNG as well as other low-temperature media such as propane/ethane at low temperatures. The equipment features a new structural design and low-temperature resistant materials, ensuring the safety of loading and unloading in low-temperature conditions. Previously, all large-diameter ultra-low-temperature ethane/LNG loading and unloading arms relied on imports, with each unit costing over 10 million yuan. Due to factors such as long delivery times for imported equipment and inadequate after-sales service, imported loading arms often cause significant inconvenience and financial losses to domestic users. To meet market demands, Shandong Guanzhuo Heavy Industry Technology Co., Ltd. has been investing effort in research and development to overcome technical challenges since 2010. Successful trials were carried out at the beginning of 2020, followed by the start of production; the company is capable of manufacturing products with diameters of 16 inches and 20 inches. The company is located in Lanshan District, a major steel-producing area in Rizhao City, and is backed by two major steel giants: Shandong Iron and Steel and Rizhao Iron and Steel. Each large-diameter low-temperature ethane/LNG ship’s loading and unloading arm is over 10 meters tall, requiring approximately 50 tons of steel, of which about 45 tons is locally produced steel from Rizhao. It has natural advantages in terms of steel consumption, including low transportation costs and timely supply. Therefore, the loading and unloading arms developed independently by this company are sold at a price that is at least 30% lower than those of similar imported models, and they can also **reduce the delivery and maintenance times. It is reported that the production of large-diameter ultra-low temperature LNG loading and unloading arms requires high technical standards, and there are numerous manufacturing challenges involved. These two large-diameter ultra-low temperature LNG ship loading/unloading arms represent two major advancements over the conventional ultra-low temperature ethylene loading/unloading arms: the first is an advancement in the mechanical design approach, which involves breaking away from the traditional design schemes for single-medium ultra-low temperature loading/unloading arms by using special new low-temperature resistant materials in key components such as the overall structure, the functions of the emergency release devices, and the intelligent hydraulic quick connectors ； Secondly, it breaks conventional patterns in terms of intelligent control, enabling remote centralized monitoring as well as automatic disengagement and retraction of the arm, thereby ensuring the stability and safety of the low-temperature loading/unloading arm during operation.