On September 12, good news came again from the construction site of the China-Saudi Arabia Gulei ethylene project. With the last module being smoothly lifted and positioned, all 10 cracking furnaces have been topped out, marking the successful completion of another critical construction milestone for the ethylene unit of the project, laying a solid foundation for subsequent completion and production.
The total investment of 44.8 billion yuan in the Zhongsha Gulei Ethylene Project is a key project for Zhongsha's capacity and investment cooperation, as well as a major foreign investment project of the national third batch. The topped-out cracking furnace is the 'leader' of the ethylene plant, adopting a configuration of '2 gas furnaces + 8 liquid furnaces', with a total weight exceeding 20,000 tons. Its processing capacity and construction scale are the largest among the ethylene plants already built in the country, setting a new record in the industry.
This set of cracking furnace equipment is currently the largest in scale and the most numerous in configuration in the country, utilizing patented technology from the American company Lummus. Its cracking efficiency is at a world-leading level.", said Hou Jingkai, the device manager of the China National Petroleum Corporation's ethylene project at the Beijing branch of China National Mechanical Engineering Corporation. "The cracking furnace is the 'core' of the entire production process, converting raw materials into cracking gas rich in ethylene and propylene, which serves as the 'raw material end' for downstream chemical plants for further processing and production. Its operational level directly determines the material source and economic benefits of the entire chemical plant's industrial chain."
It is worth mentioning that, compared to the construction conditions of mainstream large ethylene cracking furnaces in China, this cracking furnace was completed in just 10 months from the installation of the first module to the completion of the entire structure, significantly ahead of the conventional 12-14 month cycle in the same field domestically, despite the limited space.
"Based on our extensive experience in the design and construction of cracking furnaces, we have innovatively tailored the construction technology for the 2.5 generation cracking furnace - integrating key patented technologies and equipment while optimizing it with the experience from large domestic ethylene projects." According to Hou Jingkai, in addition to using a smart construction management system to achieve safety and quality traceability throughout the entire lifecycle, the greatest key to success lies in the perfect combination of excellent design experience, a mature supply chain, and advanced installation techniques, ensuring completion ahead of schedule even under site constraints.
To ensure that this key equipment is topped out as soon as possible, the project owner, EPC, construction, and supervision teams are working together closely, accurately controlling the execution of the daily plan, and making adjustments and optimizations through daily meetings to implement every construction detail. In the face of extreme requirements for delivery sequence and completion of sub-modules, the project team has established a dynamic linkage mechanism with nearly 10 domestic and foreign suppliers to ensure timely delivery of various equipment, and that each sub-module reaches 100% completion before hoisting. This has formed a production line for factory prefabrication and on-site assembly, achieving a seamless integration of modular structures and equipment installation.
China National Petroleum Corporation Sixth Construction Company, which has experience in the construction of over a hundred cracking furnaces, is the contractor for the cracking furnace facility of the Al-Jouf Ethylene Project.
"A regular site can be handled by one large crane, but the construction site is relatively small, and the amount of work is large with a tight schedule. Therefore, we coordinated operations using dual tracked cranes to optimize the narrow construction area," said Ren Fang, the project production manager of the company. This giant installation consists of 124 large modules, with the heaviest individual module weighing up to 146 tons. The entire process-from modular assembly of the radiation chamber to convective modules and chimney assembly-is like 'building blocks.' After assembling large modules on the ground, they are then precisely hoisted into place, greatly improving construction efficiency.
On the day of the topping ceremony, an award ceremony recognizing skilled welders in pipe welding technology was also held on site. Honorary certificates were awarded to outstanding welders, technicians, and construction teams who excelled in welding quality, process innovation, and efficiency improvements, encouraging all participants to promote the spirit of craftsmanship, continuously strive for excellence, and ensure the high-quality advancement of the project.
The construction breakthrough of the ethylene cracking furnace for the Zhongsha Gurley ethylene project not only reflects China's technological progress and management innovation in the field of large ethylene facility construction but also provides valuable experience for similar projects. The successful topping out of this cracking furnace will create favorable conditions for the subsequent large-scale laying of process pipelines and further installation of auxiliary equipment.
Source: China Chemical Park