According to our newspaper, good news came from the site of Dubai’s Photothermal Project supported by Bluestar (Beijing) Chemical Machinery Co., Ltd. (BCMC) recently. The project department successfully completed the overall modular hoisting operation of storage tanks, marking the first time that BCMC has adopted the modular vault beam hoisting scheme overseas and achieved a complete success.

In September 2019, BCMC signed a contract with a Spanish company to provide the manufacturing, installation and construction of high- and low-temperature molten salt storage tanks for the phase-I project of 100 MW molten salt tower, part of Dubai’s 950 MW photothermal and photovoltaic power generation project. Dubai’s 950 MW Photothermal and Photovoltaic Power Generation Project is the solar power generation project, the phase-IV one of the first stage of Maktoum Solar Energy Park, co-developed by Dubai Electricity and Water Agency (DEWA) and Saudi International Power and Water Corporation (ACWA). It is by far the largest photothermal power station across the world. After the completion, 700,000 kilowatts of clean electricity will be generated annually. The power plant, featuring the world’s largest heat storage capacity, can be used by 270,000-plus users in Dubai, reducing carbon emissions by 1.4 million tons per year. The phase-I project of 100MW molten salt tower supported by BCMC is currently the world’s largest and most technologically advanced one, a key one of the Belt and Road Initiative. The successful signing of this project marked that BCMC’s molten-salt heat-storage technology has reached the world-class level and officially entered the international market. 

The project has been progressing in an orderly manner since it kicked off in October 2019. However, the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia has brought severe challenges to the construction site. It is necessary not only to put the anti-epidemic campaign in place, but also to steadily push forward the progress of the project. In early February, the leadership of BCMC held several video conferences, explicitly instructing the Dubai-based project department to fight against the epidemic, race against time and do all in its power to ensure that the progress of the project will not be affected.

In order to minimize the risk of the epidemic, the project department has strictly followed China’s recommendations for epidemic prevention and control and complied with relevant anti-epidemic regulations of the local government to ensure the health and safety of employees. In the shortest possible time, a special emergency response team for the epidemic has been established. The 14-day isolation rule for new project personnel has been implemented. All Chinese and foreign employees shall be tested for body temperature every morning and evening. Each person is provided with a mask. Public areas on the project site shall be equipped with disinfectant and wash-free hand sanitizer, pasted with Chinese and English versions of coronavirus prevention posters, and regularly disinfected twice a day. More fruits have been provided for employees to supplement their nutrition and improve their immunity to the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the On-site Emergency Response Plan for Acute Infectious Diseases has been formulated. Epidemic prevention and control agreements have been signed with foreign workers, while letters of commitment for the epidemic with Chinese employees. For a range of control and response measures adopted by the project department, the general contractor and overseas owners gave unanimous favorable comments, while other subcontractors also studied and promoted such measures, enhancing the image of BCMC.

This hoisting has changed the single-beam in-place assembly method for the installation of the vault beam of storage tanks in China. For the first time, the method of modular vault-beam hoisting is adopted to avoid some unsafe aerial work, ensure quality and save construction time. However, the size requirements for modular groups are more accurate and the hoisting difficulty of modular vault beam is greatly increased. Facing challenges, all staff members of the Dubai-based project department of BCMC overcame difficulties and used rich technical construction experience. After one month of careful preparations, they successfully completed the overall modular hoisting operation of storage tanks. According to the plan, the phase-I project will be completed in August 2020.