China produces world’s most powerful hydraulic cylinder for marine pile driving | South China Morning Post

Oct 20, 2024

As tall as a 10-storey building, it will be used to construct the foundations of marine engineering projects

China has added another important item to its technology self-reliance list: a massive cylinder for large pile-driving vessels engaged in marine infrastructure projects that has a maximum thrust of 5,000 tonnes – enough to push 1,000 adult African elephants – state media reported.

The cylinder, the first developed independently in China and the largest and most powerful of its type in the world, rolled off the assembly line in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The development of the cylinder, which will be used to build the foundations of marine engineering projects, means China has “achieved domestic substitution of extra-large and extra-long cylinders and independent control of core technologies”, it said.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, is pursuing an all-encompassing strategy of increasing its maritime power that emphasises high-end equipment manufacturing as it seeks to switch to tech-driven growth.

Measuring 28 metres (92 feet) in length and nearly 2 metres in diameter, the hydraulic cylinder is as tall as a 10-storey building, CCTV said.