From the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River to the the Yarlung Zangbo River, China's construction machinery has embarked on a road of continuous climbing. The following is an introduction from R&D breakthrough, standard guidance, engineering practice and other aspects:
Three Gorges of the Yangtze River: Technological Foundation and Innovation
● Herringbone Gate Synchronous Lifting System: The scientific and technological personnel of the Three Gorges Navigation Management Bureau of the Yangtze River have developed the core technology of herringbone gate synchronous lifting and mechanical roof protection system after years of research and development, and have independent intellectual property rights. This system has undergone four generations of changes and has the characteristics of self-locking function, large tonnage, large stroke, high precision, and anti eccentric load, with performance far exceeding similar foreign products. In the planned suspension and maintenance of Gezhouba No.1 Ship Lock in 2024, its 3.0Ultra version made its debut, creating an intelligent operation cabin for easy installation and transportation, shortening construction preparation time, and achieving 360 degree all-round three-dimensional monitoring.
● Hydroelectric generator units: During the bidding process for the Three Gorges Left Bank Project units, China utilized a combination of technology and trade, technology transfer, joint design, and cooperative production to enable Harbin Electric Power and TEPCO to master the core technology of large-scale hydroelectric units and achieve technological accumulation.
Industry Transformation: Standards Drive Upgrading
Starting from 2024, China will accelerate the transformation and upgrading of the construction machinery industry led by the improvement of standards. Multiple standards will be issued around the transformation towards electrification, intelligence, and green development, and the standard system for electric construction machinery will be improved. The implementation of standards strengthens technological leadership, promotes industrial collaboration, shapes a healthy ecosystem, increases the market share of electric engineering machinery, promotes the concentration of resources to top enterprises, and also assists Chinese enterprises in "going global".
The Yarlung Zangbo River: Challenge the Limits and Span
● Project opportunity: On July 19, 2025, the hydropower project in the lower reaches of the the Yarlung Zangbo River will be started, with a construction period of 10 years, which is expected to bring a market of 100 billion yuan to the construction machinery industry. Large excavators, loaders, and other types of construction machinery have become the main demand categories.
● Technical response to extreme working conditions: In response to extreme working conditions such as high altitude, strong humidity and cold, strong earthquake zones, and extremely complex geology, enterprises plan ahead, conduct demand analysis of construction environment products and cutting-edge technology research, and lay out high-altitude test fields and maintenance centers. More than 20 types of electric complete sets of products and intelligent equipment have been put into use in the preliminary pilot project. The new shield tunneling machine pioneered the dual mode free switching of pipe segment mode, which can cope with different geological conditions; The high-altitude TBM is equipped with a dual system of "turbocharging+motor assistance", implanted with "digital twin" technology, and uses robots to change tools to adapt to high-altitude environments.
From the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River to the the Yarlung Zangbo River, China's construction machinery continues to break through technical bottlenecks, achieving a leap from technology accumulation to coping with extreme challenges, and will further enhance its global competitiveness with the help of Yaxia Hydropower Project in the future.