Skip to main content

Chinese tunnel projects discussed

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Wen Jiabao, Premier of the People’s Republic of China, recently visited the Herrenknecht plant in Guangzhou as part of her trip to China. The delegation included, among others, 20 high-level representatives of German industry, and Dr Martin Herrenknecht, chairman of Herrenknecht, presented the company to Chancellor Merkel and Premier Wen, and talked about important Chinese and international reference projects.
May 14, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Seen in front of the Herrenknecht EPB Shield being used for the Metro in Dongguan are visitors to the company's plant including (second from left) Dr Martin Herrenknecht; Dr Angela Merkel (third from left) and Wen Jiabao (fourth from left)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Wen Jiabao, Premier of the People’s Republic of China, recently visited the 2592 Herrenknecht plant in Guangzhou as part of her trip to China.

The delegation included, among others, 20 high-level representatives of German industry, and Dr Martin Herrenknecht, chairman of Herrenknecht, presented the company to Chancellor Merkel and Premier Wen, and talked about important Chinese and international reference projects.

In addition, he introduced a tunnel boring machine (TBM), an Earth Pressure Balance Shield with a diameter of 6.95m, which is being used to construct the Metro Line 2 in Dongguan.

Herrenknecht has been represented on the Chinese growth market since the delivery of the first machines for the construction of the Beijing metro in 2000, and the company generates around 20% of its group sales in China.

The huge economic growth and increasing urbanisation result in a high demand for efficient underground traffic and supply infrastructures, and to date Herrenknecht technology has been used in 275 projects, mostly for inner-city tunnel construction. Some 480km of tunnel tubes have been built using its technology, while a further 200km are being planned.

Among the most important projects is the construction of two double-storey traffic tunnels in Shanghai to connect Changxing river island with the mainland, work carried out using two of the world’s biggest TBMs with diameters of 15.43m each.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • As one of China’s largest construction machinery manufacturers XCMG also has one of the broadest product ranges
    November 13, 2014
    XCMG is developing its presence in the road machinery sector – Mike Woof writes The road machinery division of XCMG is an increasingly important part of the firm’s overall operations and now produces an extensive range of machines to meet customer needs. Guo Chaohui is vice general manager of this segment and said, “Our aim is to become a world class leader of road machinery. We want to introduce the company on the international market and raise the firm’s profile.” XCMG already holds a strong position
  • As one of China’s largest construction machinery manufacturers XCMG also has one of the broadest product ranges
    January 6, 2017
    XCMG is developing its presence in the road machinery sector – Mike Woof writes The road machinery division of XCMG is an increasingly important part of the firm’s overall operations and now produces an extensive range of machines to meet customer needs. Guo Chaohui is vice general manager of this segment and said, “Our aim is to become a world class leader of road machinery. We want to introduce the company on the international market and raise the firm’s profile.” XCMG already holds a strong position
  • DenimoTech focuses on today's challenges
    November 27, 2012
    Empty environmental commitments from governments, falling bitumen quality and the impact of the economic crisis - DenimoTech asked some of its global distributors about the challenges of today’s markets - Kristina Smith was there to listen in Competition from Chinese manufacturers; highways abandoned half-built; the worst year for road building in the last 20 years. These are challenging times for DenimoTech’s distributors whose goal is to sell the firm’s bitumen emulsion and polymer modified bitumen plants
  • Testing and striping underway for Seattle’s Alaskan Way tunnel
    August 31, 2018
    Crews have been working flat out on the Alaskan Way Tunnel in Seattle to install and test thousands of components and 90 interconnected systems. The client, Washing State Department of Transportation, said that Seattle Tunnel Partners began installation inside the double-deck State Route 99 tunnel in March after crews completed construction of the upper and lower roadways. STP said that testing could be complete by as early as late September and the tunnel could open as soon as this fall after an ap