The West-East Gas Pipeline Project provides a huge market for Chinese valve companies

At present, the division of the international equipment market is more obvious, and a monopolistic competition pattern has been formed worldwide. Only when the domestic equipment manufacturing industry relies on the vast domestic market can it be necessary to revitalize the necessary power for the industry.

The West-East Gas Pipeline Project starts from Xinjiang in the west and turns to Shanghai in the west. It passes through 10 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions with a total length of about 4,000 kilometers. It is estimated that the annual gas transmission volume will be 12 billion cubic meters, with a total investment of 120 billion yuan. Because the entire project requires a large amount of related equipment such as regulating valves, instrumentation and automation, the engineering of the pneumatic regulating valve is undoubtedly a tempting “big cake” for the domestic equipment industry. Therefore, while improving the localization rate of the West-East Gas Transmission Equipment, how to take advantage of the potential to expand the national equipment industry has become a common concern in the industry.

It is reported that the China Machinery Industry Federation has organized the preparation of a feasibility analysis report for major technical equipment projects, and has carried out the whole process management together with China National Petroleum Corporation. In the process of using large-scale pipeline gas compressors, large forged welded ball valves, automatic control systems and other process equipment, key equipment of LNG stations and pipelayers, China Machinery Industry Federation to improve equipment localization The rate has done a lot of work.

At the same time, China Machinery Industry Federation actively promoted the technical cooperation between domestic enterprises such as Zhenggong High Pressure Regulating Valve Co., Ltd. and Shenyang Blower Group Company and the internationally renowned GE New Billion Company and jointly conducted business quotations.

It is understood that although the relevant leaders of the National Development and Reform Commission and relevant departments often coordinate with the National West Air Office to coordinate the localization of major equipment, however, the efforts of all parties cannot cover the problems faced by the localization of equipment in the West-East Gas Transmission Project. As early as mid-July 2000, the West-East Gas Pipeline Project was fully open to the public. This included: the entire project was open and comprehensive external cooperation; the West-East Gas Pipeline Project did not engage in state-owned sole proprietorship, and the foreign party could control it, with an unrestricted proportion; cooperation The method is not limited and can be joint venture, cooperation or other forms.

In addition, there are two special policies for this project investment: the electric control valve can be controlled by the foreign party in the West-East Gas Pipeline Project; the second is to include the construction of the city natural gas pipeline network in the scope of cooperation with the opening up, exploration rights and mining rights. The use fee is reduced and the imported equipment is tax-free. These two policies have broken through the limitation of the construction of urban gas supply pipelines in the Foreign Investment Industrial Guidance Catalogue.

While feeling the competitive pressure of foreign companies, many equipment manufacturers have also received a certain degree of unfair treatment in domestic project bidding. Although the relevant departments of the state have pointed out many times that domestic major construction projects should consider domestic equipment as much as possible, and regulate the localization rate. However, many domestic projects generally have a tolerance for foreign companies when purchasing equipment. Domestic enterprises are more strict and even difficult.

According to industry analysts, this is mainly because domestic equipment manufacturing companies have weaker capabilities. In some respects, if you buy domestic equipment, you will be responsible if you have problems; if you buy foreign equipment, you will feel safer. The reason is that foreign equipment is relatively advanced. If it fails, it can only be attributed to the fact that technology research and development is not in place.

Therefore, while domestic enterprises improve their own competitiveness, self-operated regulating valves also require the state to provide effective credit support to major technical equipment manufacturing enterprises, in accordance with international practices in different periods. Both developed countries and newly industrialized countries give full support to the major equipment manufacturing industry in terms of finance and taxation. China needs to scientifically share the risks of owners who use the first domestically produced complete sets of equipment, so that the newly developed domestically produced complete sets of equipment can enter the market.

It is understood that the domestic equipment industry has many problems in the bidding for the West-East Gas Pipeline Project. Taking the pipeline compressor bidding process as an example, domestic enterprises cannot understand the gas transmission process enough, and can only do the design after the user and the Shanghai regulating valve design institute have clear parameters; and the foreign major bidding companies can even be China. The users gave lectures and told them how many pressurization stations should be placed on the 4,000-kilometer pipeline. How should the parameters be determined? In contrast, domestic companies have lost their initiative.

Relevant persons of PetroChina said that under the premise of ensuring the quality of the project, as long as it meets the construction requirements, it is natural to "use as much as possible domestically produced materials." However, the relevant data shows that only due to the gap in technical capabilities between domestic and foreign companies, at least eight of the 16 major equipments in the West-East Gas Pipeline Project need to be imported.

It is gratifying to note that in the West-East Gas Pipeline Project, the National Development and Reform Commission has made requirements for the localization of related equipment in the expansion project due to the good foundation and performance of the company in the key technical equipment research and localization. .

According to relevant persons, on the basis of 4000 kilometers of trunk roads, Zhengzhou-Zhoukou, Jiaozuo-Xinxiang-Anyang, Dingyuan-Hefei, Nanjing Pukou-Liuhe-Yizheng-Yangzhou, Nanjing-Maanshan-Wuhu, Changzhou-Yixing-Huzhou-Hangzhou, etc. A number of branch lines will also be launched. This is indeed a very good news for many companies that want to eat the “big cake” of the West-East Gas Pipeline Project.