On August 5th, five “explosion-proof” earth pressure balance TBMs for export projects in Italy passed client’s acceptance and collectively rolled off the production line at the manufacturing base of China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co., Ltd. (CREG). The machines will be shipped to Italy for the PA-CT Phase II project on Island of Sicily and the Salerno high-speed railway project, providing strong support for the construction of a modern railway network in Italy.

The Phase II PA-CT project on Island of Sicily, located in southwest Italy, serves as a link between Palermo and Catania. The project involves four sections, utilizing the eight “explosion-proof” earth Pressure balance TBMs developed by CREG for its construction. The four TBMs that rolled off the production line this time have an excavation diameter of 9.48 meters and an overall length of 251 meters, meeting European ATEX, CE, and other design requirements. With the application of advanced technologies such as green energy conservation and TBM intelligent maintenance, the machines will provide solid support for the seamless advancement of subsequent phases of the project.

The Salerno High-speed Railway project is located in the central and southern part of Italy, connecting Salerno and Reggio Calabria. The project includes three excavation sections, adopting three large-diameter earth pressure balance TBMs developed by CREG for its construction. The TBM that rolled off the production line this time is the second one for this project, with an excavation diameter of 13.46 meters and an overall length of 183 meters, covering an excavation mileage of 3.1 kilometers. Given the presence of methane and other combustible gases in the strata, the equipment underwent ATEX explosion-proof design and CE certification. Meanwhile, advanced technologies such as cast-in-place bottom arch and rear explosion-proof rotating platform are adopted to significantly reduce the labor intensity for operators, improve tunneling efficiency, and enhance safety during excavation.