China to export homegrown tunnel-boring machine to Italy

CHANGSHA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- An independently developed tunnel-boring machine rolled off the production line on Thursday in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan Province, marking the sixth such machine produced by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co., Ltd (CRCHI) for export to Italy.

Measuring 9.28 meters in diameter, the machine will be used in the construction of a high-speed railway tunnel linking Sicily's regional capital Palermo, and Catania, another city in Sicily island.

The machine adopted several new technologies to better operate under the local geological and hydrological conditions, which would improve the working environment for workers and make it more energy efficient, according to CRCHI.

CRCHI is one of China's major heavy machinery producers dedicated to the research, design and manufacturing of underground engineering and rail transit equipment. The company's products have been exported to over 30 countries and regions, including Italy, Türkiye and the Republic of Korea.