In the height of summer, the Altay region of Xinjiang is vibrant with life. Sunflowers huddle together, melon patches crowd around cornfields; shrubs, in clumps here and there, are as green as children; herdsmen mount their saddles, driving cattle, sheep, horses, and camels out of their enclosures, like clouds spreading across the hillsides; the Ertis River, winding its way through the Gobi Desert, canyons, grasslands, and forests, becomes an unstoppable, undulating mighty river…
On June 30, 2022, deep in the Gobi Desert, colorful flags fluttered and fireworks burst as people held a ceremony to warmly celebrate the successful completion of the "Hualong No. 2" TBM (rock tunnel boring machine) on the Xinjiang XE project, a gift to the 101st anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. The "Hualong No. 2" TBM achieved another honor, setting a new domestic record for the longest continuous tunneling distance with an "8-meter class" open-face TBM, reaching 21,736 meters.
The team that built the tunnel in Section VI of the Xinjiang XE Project has the blood of Chinese hydropower construction workers, hailing from Changsha, Hunan, known for its "hard work, perseverance, and tenacity." They are the TBM team of China Water Resources and Hydropower Eighth Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as: China Hydropower Eighth Bureau), a subsidiary of China Power Construction Corporation. Established in 2013, the same year as the national "Belt and Road" initiative, this team is the first TBM construction team of China Hydropower Eighth Bureau and is hailed as "underground special forces."
Location: Minas Hydropower Station, Ecuador, South America. Excavation began on August 11, 2014, and the "Hualong 1" double-shield TBM successfully emerged from the tunnel in the early morning of August 2, 2017 (Ecuadorian time). Over three years, the TBM team from China Hydropower No. 8 Bureau overcame numerous technical challenges during the excavation of the water diversion tunnel at the Minas Hydropower Station in Ecuador, including cutterhead positioning, crossing the passing platform inside the tunnel, and rapidly dismantling the passing platform using simple lifting devices. They conquered 7,000 meters of hard rock (with a maximum rock strength of 318.2 MPa) and achieved an industry-leading monthly advance of 637.96 meters. They also completed 25 mass-participation economic and technological innovations, obtained 2 national patents, and published 15 technical papers.
Ten years ago, my country relied heavily on foreign countries for tunnel boring machine (TBM) equipment and construction, with key technologies constrained by foreign technology, severely hindering the development of tunnel engineering in my country. From introduction and research and development to application and promotion, equipment manufacturing and engineering construction have supported each other and progressed alternately. After ten years of continuous efforts, China has basically achieved full localization of TBMs and shield tunneling machines. Currently, more than 90% of the TBMs and shield tunneling machines in operation in China are domestically produced, and they have been exported to 26 countries and regions.
The "Hualong No. 2" open-face TBM in the VI section of the Xinjiang XE project is a typical example of the first large-scale centralized application of domestically produced TBMs. It was contracted out to Tianjin Jianxintai Tunnel Engineering Co., Ltd., the contractor for the first domestically produced open-face TBM and the first domestically produced double-shield TBM. On June 30, 2022, after 1391 days of tunneling, it successfully reached its designated position, achieving high-precision breakthrough. During construction, the TBM team of China Hydropower Eighth Bureau not only overcame extreme cold weather of minus forty degrees Celsius and successfully traversed 65 fault zones, but also set a new domestic record for continuous single-machine tunneling of 21.73 kilometers with an "8-meter-class" open-face TBM and high-precision breakthrough; the highest daily advance was 56.2 meters, and the highest monthly advance was 900.8 meters, setting a new domestic record for the shallowest burial depth TBM tunneling construction. They overcame 10 major technical challenges, completed 35 mass-based economic and technological innovations, obtained 4 provincial and ministerial-level construction methods and 17 national patents, and were awarded the title of the first National "Shield Tunneling Craftsman". It has provided a wealth of valuable experience for the development of the domestic TBM equipment manufacturing and tunnel engineering industry, making a significant contribution.
Continuing the struggle and forging ahead with courage, China Hydropower No. 8 Engineering Co., Ltd. closely follows the pulse of the National Energy Administration's "Medium and Long-Term Development Plan for Pumped Storage (2021-2035)," embarking on a new journey and venturing into domestic pumped storage engineering tunnel TBM construction projects. This contributes positively to my country's global efforts to address climate change and strive for the goals of "peaking carbon before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060," while simultaneously achieving sustainable and high-quality development.
Wherever their hearts lead, they will follow. Over the past decade, they have actively practiced the spirit of "self-improvement and courage to surpass" in power construction, forging ahead on the path of "pursuing excellence and striving for perfection," achieving one major victory after another and creating one new record after another.
Life is like a journey against the current, and we navigate it with a single reed. For the past ten years, they have shared a common dream with their country and family, keeping their mission in mind and their goals in their hearts. With a united and pioneering spirit, and with unwavering confidence in overcoming difficulties and forging ahead, they have built the TBM professional construction brand of China Hydropower No. 8 Bureau step by step.
Time has a sound; the sound of time is a symphony of voices.
This symphony has coalesced into a powerful and vibrant force.
From initial learning to mastering core technologies;
From a blank slate to fruitful results;
From a novice to a model worker and a national "tunnel boring machine craftsman";
...
After a decade of dedicated effort, the TBM team of China Hydropower Bureau No. 8 has firmly established itself at the forefront of the TBM construction field.
From a newly formed army to a formidable force;
From crossing oceans to fight in foreign lands to traversing mountains and valleys to build up the western part of the motherland...
After a decade of dedicated practice, the TBM team of China Hydropower Bureau No. 8 has written a remarkable chapter in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Time has etched their footprints. They have played the music of time.
Text and photos by Zhu Haiqiang and Ding Yongzhe
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