The Zhongsha Gulei ethylene project has completed the installation of the \"five towers\" ahead of schedule, with commissioning scheduled for the second half of 2026
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On March 5, 2025, good news came regarding the Sino-Saudi Ghulay Ethylene Project: the five super-large tower structures that form the core of this project were successfully lifted after 32 days of work, setting a new record for the construction of similar large-scale petrochemical projects in China. “The “Five Towers” are the core units of the Zhongsha Gulei ethylene project, including an ethylene tower, a gasoline distillation tower, a quench water tower, and two propylene towers; the lifting operations for these towers are of paramount importance in the project’s construction. Transportation of Tower No. 1 for the propylene unit in the Sino-Saudi Ghulayyil Ethylene Project. It is reported that the annual production capacity of this ethylene plant can reach up to 1.8 million tons, making it the largest of its kind in the world. Typically, the installation of five towers in domestic ethylene plants with an annual production capacity of one million tons takes nearly 60 days; however, the Sino-Saudi Ghulayyil Ethylene Project completed this task in just 32 days, setting a new record for the industry. Taking Tower No. 1 for propylene, with a diameter of 9.5 meters, a height of 102 meters, and a lifting weight of 2,085 tons, as an example, thanks to the use of new materials and innovations in construction techniques, the installation work was completed in just 12 days, setting a new record in the history of ethylene plant construction in China ； The ethylene tower had its protective installations completed in just 7 days, while the insulation work was finished in less than 20 days; as a result, four model projects were created in terms of insulation, lighting, pipeline protection, and corrosion prevention for process pipelines. Erection of the ethylene tower for the Sino-Saudi Ghulayyil ethylene project: According to Chen Tao from Sinopec Heavy Lifting and Transportation Engineering Co., Ltd., the project contractor for the Sino-Saudi Ghulayyil project assembled a team of professionals responsible for lifting operations, machine operation, safety assurance, and technical support. In terms of equipment, multiple large crawler cranes as well as special flatbed trucks needed for transporting the tower structures were deployed, with 4,000-ton crawler cranes being used for the erection work. Throughout the process, the Zhongsha Gulei IPMT project team coordinated EPC contractors, equipment manufacturers, transportation teams, lifting companies, construction units, and supervision agencies to thoroughly study the implementation plans. By taking into account factors such as tidal conditions, channel regulations, and port scheduling during the design, manufacturing, construction, and transportation phases, emergency plans were prepared in advance, ensuring the successful installation of the five oversized tower structures. Erection of quench towers for the Sino-Saudi Ghulayyil ethylene project. It is understood that the Sino-Saudi Ghulayyil ethylene project will involve the construction of 14 chemical processing units, with nearly 150 towers having a capacity of over 120 tons. There are 14 such towers in the ethylene production unit; some of these towers have already been erected, while the remaining ones are being transported to Ghulayyil one after another. The subsequent work focuses on accelerating the completion of the underground works that remained from the preliminary stage due to site reservation, finishing the installation of the remaining towers, and quickly bringing them into the installation phase. With the successive successful lifting of the towers, the construction of the ethylene plant for the Zhongsha Gulei Ethylene Project will enter the full installation phase. The entire project is expected to be completed and put into operation in the second half of 2026.
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In order to successfully lift these key equipment components before the rainy season, the special task force for major projects in Gulei Development Zone coordinated the efforts of maritime authorities, public security agencies, transportation services, and power supply departments to work closely together. It took full account of factors such as tidal conditions, channel regulations, and port scheduling during the design, manufacturing, construction, and transportation phases, and prepared various emergency response plans in advance； All the parties involved in the project worked together, bringing in talented individuals from across the country to contribute to the construction, while continuously making innovations and achieving breakthroughs in their respective modular tasks. Taking Tower No. 1 for propylene, with a diameter of 9.5 meters, a height of 102 meters, and a lifting weight of 2,085 tons, as an example, thanks to the use of new materials and innovations in construction techniques, the installation work was completed in just 12 days, setting a new record in the history of ethylene plant construction in China ； The ethylene tower had its protective installations completed in just 7 days, while the insulation work was finished in less than 20 days; as a result, four model projects were created in terms of insulation, lighting, pipeline protection, and corrosion prevention for process pipelines. “The ‘clothing and covering’ process for the large tower involves civil engineering foundations and safety measures, requiring coordinated work by multiple specialties such as equipment installation, electrical systems, process pipelines, corrosion protection, insulation, and cooling. ”Wang Chunwei, project director at Guangdong Guoxin Engineering Supervision Group Co., Ltd., the supervision company for the ethylene plant, gave an example: using the first ethylene tower as a model unit, they carried out comprehensive monitoring throughout the entire process, covering aspects such as the acceptance of materials and equipment upon arrival, as well as the quality of pipelines attached to the tower and ladder platforms. Sinopec Heavy Lifting and Transportation Engineering Co., Ltd., where Chen Tao works, is the company responsible for lifting the \"five towers\". He explained, “We have assembled a team of professionals in terms of human resources, including crane operators, machinery operators, safety officers, and technical support staff. In terms of equipment, we have deployed multiple large crawler cranes as well as special flatbed trucks required for transporting tower structures. We also used heavy machinery capable of handling ‘over-sized’ tower structures – 4,000-ton class crawler cranes – for the lifting operations.” ” It is understood that the Zhongsha Gulei ethylene project will involve the construction of 14 chemical processing units, including nearly 150 towers with a capacity of over 120 tons. There are 14 such towers alone in the ethylene production facility; some of these towers have already been installed, while the rest are being transported to Gulei one after another. “The subsequent work focuses on accelerating the completion of the underground works that remained unfinished due to site reservation in the earlier stages, finishing the installation of the remaining towers, and quickly moving into the installation phase ； At the same time, accelerate the installation of steel structures to support the appearance of the facility, and speed up the anti-corrosion work on the pipelines to prepare for the upcoming rainy season. ”Wang Jiyu, project manager of Sinopec Fourth Construction Co., Ltd., explained. With the successive successful lifting of the towers, the construction of the ethylene plant for the Zhongsha Gulei Ethylene Project will enter the full installation phase. The entire project is expected to be completed and put into operation in the second half of 2026.
Reported on December 21 (Reporter Wu Jianfeng): On December 20, the first large-scale equipment for the Sino-Saudi Ghulayy ethylene project, the ethylene tower, was successfully lifted into place, marking a new phase in the construction of this project where equipment installation is accelerating at full pace. The ethylene tower is one of the key components of the main ethylene production unit in the Zhongsha Gulei Ethylene Project. With a height of 95 meters and a diameter of 6.4 meters, its net weight is nearly 900 tons. It was successfully delivered to the site of the ethylene plant on November 18, 2024, where work such as insulation, safety measures, and the installation of pipelines connected to the tower began. It was the first large-scale, oversized equipment to arrive at the project site. For this lifting operation, a 4,000-ton crawler crane was used as the main lifting device, while a 500-ton crawler crane served as an auxiliary device to assist in the lifting process; the total weight to be lifted was approximately 1,150 tons. The method of \"lifting with a single main crane and assistance from an auxiliary crane\" was employed to lift the tower into place. The Zhongsha Gulei Ethylene Project is located in the Gulei Petrochemical Base, one of China’s seven major petrochemical industry hubs. With a total investment of around 44.8 billion yuan, it was built through a joint venture between Fujian Energy Petrochemical Group and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). The project will enable an annual production capacity of up to 1.8 million tons of ethylene and related downstream processed products; it features good economic benefits, a large range of high-end products, low energy consumption and emissions, a large scale of the facilities, and strong driving effects on downstream industries. The products will be widely used in fields such as electronics and electrical engineering, artificial intelligence, smartphones, healthcare, the automotive industry, and new materials, to meet the growing market demand for high-end petrochemical products.