China’s Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corp. (CRCHI) has exported its recently manufactured tunnel boring machine (TBM), Shuangjing No.1, to the Solomon Islands.
CRCHI manufactured the TBM, with an excavation diameter of 4.48m, at the second industrial park in the city of Changsha, in Central China’s Hunan Province.
Shuangjing No.1, the first Chinese-made TBM exported to the Solomon Islands, is intended for the construction of a diversion tunnel at the Tina Hydropower Station.
The Tina Hydropower Station is located in the Malango region of Guadalcanal Province in the Solomon Islands and is currently under construction.
Its construction is led by the government of the Solomon Islands, with financing and support from several partners, including financial institutions and governments.
The diversion tunnel for the Tina Hydropower Station extends around 3.2km, running through geological formations primarily composed of gravel and sandstone.
The project presents several engineering challenges, including long-distance tunnelling, crossing fractured rock zones, and high-pressure water conditions during excavation.
In response, the development team at CRCHI has incorporated several targeted designs to mitigate the engineering challenges.
Shuangjing No.1 has been designed with a composite cutter head engineered for hard rock excavation, increased thrust and torque capacity, and integrated pressurised manlock.
It also features intensive backup support and an advanced geological prediction system, to enhance its adaptability to different geological conditions.
Currently, the development of Tina Hydropower Station is on track with the completion and commercial operation expected in early 2028.
Upon completion, the Hydropower Station will address 68% of the electricity demand of the Solomon Islands’ capital city Honiar, and promote local economic and social development.
Last month, CRCHI exported a TBM produced in Changsha to Africa, for use in the tunnel construction project for Zambia’s Chambishi Southeast Ore Body.
The TBM has been designed with an excavation diameter of 5.63m, a length of around 130m and a total weight of around 800 tonnes.
Also, the machine features a minimum horizontal turning radius of 50m, which allows it to be operated on gradients of up to ±15 degrees.
The project includes excavating a 9.7km tunnel, as part of Africa’s digitised mining initiative.
