A massive dome weighing 821 tons has been successfully lifted into position atop a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tank in Hainan, PipeChina announced on Tuesday.
The operation marks a major progress in the project.
The newly topped tank is part of the Hainan LNG Phase II expansion project at the Hainan LNG receiving terminal, one of China's major oil and gas infrastructures, in Danzhou City.
It used air pressure rather than cranes to raise the tank's roof about 43 meters -- equivalent to a 15-story building -- into place. The technique, known as pneumatic lifting, relies on controlled airflow within a sealed space to gently and precisely elevate heavy structures.
Precision was critical to the operation. Engineers used real-time digital monitoring systems to track the dome's ascent and ensure perfect alignment with the tank's supporting structure.
"The project has deeply applied digital control technologies to monitor the lifting trajectory of the storage tank dome in real time, keeping the alignment deviation between the dome and the compression ring within 2 millimeters. The successful operation of this lifting not only opens an 'acceleration channel' for the construction of subsequent tanks, but also lays a solid foundation for the Hainan Free Trade Port to establish itself as a regional LNG supply hub for ASEAN and a warehousing and transshipment center for the Asia-Pacific region," said Wang Ning, manager of the Hainan Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project of National Pipeline Network Construction Project Management Co., Ltd.
The Hainan LNG receiving terminal's first phase, already operational, includes two 160,000-cubic-meter storage tanks. Phase II adds three larger 220,000-cubic-meter tanks, with overall construction now nearly 50-percent done. The full project is expected to finish in 2027.
When completed, the expanded facility will add 400 million cubic meters of gas storage capacity -- doubling the site's peak-shaving capability. This enhancement will significantly strengthen emergency response and supply stability for the island province of Hainan and coastal regions of south China, supporting the country's transition toward cleaner energy sources.
821-ton LNG tank dome lifted into place in Hainan
The on-site search for survivors has largely concluded following a deadly explosion at a fireworks factory in central China's Hunan Province on Monday, which killed 26 people and injured 61 others, local authorities said at a news conference on Tuesday.
The blast occurred at around 16:40 on Monday at a workshop of Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co., Ltd. in Liuyang, a county-level city under Changsha, the provincial capital.
Officials paused to mourn the victims at the beginning of the news conference. Among the injured, 55 with minor wounds have received treatment and are in stable conditions.
"More than 1,500 personnel from the fire, emergency response, public security and health departments have been deployed to carry out rescue operations, on-site response and medical treatment in an orderly manner. On-site search and rescue has now basically completed, and identity verification of the victims is underway. The leaders of the company concerned have been taken into legal custody. Real-time monitoring of air and water shows that the relevant environmental indicators are normal," said Chen Bozhang, mayor of Changsha City and deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Changsha Municipal Committee.
The Hunan provincial fire and rescue authorities dispatched 482 personnel, 116 fire trucks, 15 sniffer dogs, 18 drones, six robots and one robot dog to the scene, successfully pulling out seven trapped individuals.
"Next, we will concentrate the best medical resources to conduct case-by-case assessments of the injured, closely monitor their conditions, and dynamically adjust treatment plans to provide meticulous care. A special task force has been set up for follow-up assistance, adopting a 'one special team for one victim (family)' approach to proactively contact the families of the deceased and injured, and establish a closed-loop mechanism for learning about and addressing their needs," Chen said.
The mayor also vowed a full, transparent investigation into the cause of the accident.
"We will fully cooperate in the accident investigation, strictly adhering to the principles of seeking truth from facts and confronting problems head-on. We will carry out a comprehensive, in-depth and penetrating investigation to fully reconstruct the entire process and chain of the accident," he said.
Since 19:00 on Monday, all fireworks production enterprises in Changsha have suspended operations for safety rectification. Citywide safety inspections are underway to close regulatory loopholes, reinforce corporate responsibility and improve overall safety standards.
Death toll rises to 26 in central China fireworks plant explosion
