The R5420 main esterification reactor for the 120,000-ton/year 1,4-butanediol unit in Qingyang Tongxin’s 500,000-ton/year light hydrocarbons deep processing project has been installed in place

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At 16:35 on January 7th, upon the command \"Hoist in place\" given by the on-site chief commander, the 500,000 tons per year light hydrocarbon deep processing project in Qingyang Tongxin, undertaken by China Fifth Ring Engineering Co., Ltd. under China National Chemical Engineering Corporation, achieved a major breakthrough: the R5420 main esterification reactor for the 120,000 tons per year 1,4-butanediol production line was precisely hoisted into place after 95 minutes, thus overcoming the most critical obstacle in the project’s construction. As the \"ballast\" equipment of the project, the R5420 main esterification reactor is truly a giant – with a maximum diameter of 6.3 meters, a total height of 45 meters, and a weight of 260 tons. It is the largest and heaviest core equipment in the entire facility, and the precision of its installation directly determines the efficiency of subsequent processes and production. The biggest challenge in this lifting operation is the limited working space at the construction site; there is little room for maneuver in the lifting area, which poses significant difficulties in determining the positioning of large cranes and planning the path for lifting the equipment. To overcome this challenge, the project team launched a targeted effort several months in advance. By working together with the client, construction contractors, supervisors, and lifting companies, they formed a technical task force. Through on-site inspections, multiple rounds of simulation exercises, and scenario analysis, they ultimately determined a lifting technique based on \"simultaneous lifting by two machines for coordinated delivery\" – using one 650-ton crawler crane as the main lifting device and another 320-ton crawler crane to assist in guiding the equipment, thereby ensuring that the loading, rotation, and positioning of the equipment were carried out smoothly and under control. Before carrying out the lifting operation, the project team completed comprehensive preparations: thorough inspection and testing of the equipment, reinforcement of the work site, and specialized safety briefings to clarify the responsibilities of each team member as well as the emergency response procedures. At 15:00 on January 7th, the lifting operation commenced. Two large crawler cranes worked in tandem; under the unified command of the chief supervisor, the main crane slowly raised the lifting ropes, while the auxiliary crane precisely adjusted the orientation of the equipment to lift the horizontally positioned reactor upright. Technicians monitor the verticality in real time using a theodolite, while operators make precise adjustments to the parameters; all aspects of the work at the site are coordinated smoothly, with activity without chaos. After 95 minutes of intense work, the reactor was accurately positioned, with the deviation between the bolt holes in its base and the pre-drilled holes in the foundation kept within the millimeter range, thus completing the lifting task successfully. The Qingyang Tongxin 500,000 tons/year light hydrocarbons deep processing project is located in the Industrial Park of Xifeng District, Qingyang City, Gansu Province. It is a key project for industrial upgrading in the area, and it includes various facilities such as those for liquefied gas desulfurization and separation, mixed alkane dehydrogenation, maleic anhydride production, 1,4-butanediol synthesis, and PBS production, along with supporting infrastructure. Once completed, this project will enable the deep processing and efficient conversion of light hydrocarbon raw materials, thereby extending the regional petrochemical industry chain and increasing the added value of the products. Next, the project team will build on this momentum to fully advance subsequent tasks such as equipment installation and pipeline laying, strictly ensuring project quality and safety, so as to guarantee the timely and complete delivery of the project and inject new impetus into the high-quality development of the regional economy.