February 13, 2025, Jizan, Saudi Arabia-The Saudi Jizan Industrial City Seawater Cooling Project, which was constructed by China Harbour Engineering Co., Ltd. and CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd. (CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Bureau), recently successfully completed the installation of the world's largest diameter (3.5 meters) submarine high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipeline, breaking the industry record again and demonstrating China's global leading position in the field of HDPE pipelines.
HDPE pipelines are gradually replacing traditional metal and concrete pipelines with their advantages of corrosion resistance, light weight, high strength, long life, and convenient construction, becoming a key material for global infrastructure. The success of this Saudi project further verifies the excellent performance of HDPE pipelines:
Super corrosion resistance: suitable for harsh environments such as seawater cooling and chemical transportation, with a service life of more than 50 years.
Lightweight and high toughness: The weight is only 1/8 of that of steel pipes, with strong impact resistance, which greatly reduces transportation and installation costs.
Environmental protection and energy saving: low production energy consumption, recyclable, in line with the global trend of green buildings and sustainable development.
China's HDPE pipeline industry has developed rapidly in recent years. The market size has reached 57.438 billion yuan in 2023 and is expected to exceed 60.7 billion yuan in 2024. The success of this Saudi project marks a comprehensive breakthrough for Chinese companies in the entire industry chain of HDPE pipeline design, manufacturing and installation:
Technological innovation: The "large-diameter double-pipe synchronous shipment" process developed by CCCC Fourth Engineering Bureau has greatly improved construction efficiency and broken the European and American technology monopoly.
Market expansion: China's HDPE pipelines have been widely used in municipal water supply, agricultural irrigation, petrochemicals and other fields, and are accelerating the expansion of overseas markets.
Policy support: China's "14th Five-Year Plan" promotes the application of green building materials, and the EU's carbon tariff policy further stimulates the growth of HDPE demand.
As the global urbanization process accelerates, the HDPE pipe market is expected to exceed 100 billion in 2030. Chinese companies are consolidating their global competitiveness through technological upgrades and international cooperation. The success of the Saudi project not only helps the "Belt and Road" infrastructure cooperation, but also sets a benchmark for China's HDPE pipeline technology exports.
Conclusion: The successful installation of the world's largest HDPE submarine pipeline is not only an engineering feat, but also heralds the broad prospects of HDPE pipelines in the era of green infrastructure. With technological innovation and market expansion, China is leading the global HDPE industry to new heights.
