SOEs' restructuring set to advance

Dongfang Electric Corp, a Chengdu, Sichuan province-based energy and electromechanical equipment system manufacturer, as well as a central SOE, ignited China's first self-developed F-class 50-megawatt heavy-duty gas turbine in Qingyuan, Guangdong province, in January. The turbine, produced by Dongfang Electric, signifies a breakthrough for the country in the field of heavy gas turbines, and the ignition marked an important step toward its commercial operation.

Heavy-duty gas turbines are core equipment for power plants. The turbine connected to the grid within the past month, said Zhang Yanjun, the group's vice-president.

The turbine can reduce carbon emissions by over 500,000 metric tons a year compared with thermal power generators. When operational, it can produce more than 70 megawatt-hours of electricity an hour in a combined cycle power generation system, meeting the needs of 7,000 households a day.

Chinese SOEs saw their operating revenue grow by 8.3 percent year-on-year to 82.6 trillion yuan in 2022, while their foreign trade value amounted to 6.77 trillion yuan, accounting for 16.1 of China's foreign trade, the Ministry of Finance and the General Administration of Customs said recently.

CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co Ltd, a Shandong province-based subsidiary of China Railway Rolling Stock Corp, signed a contract with Etihad Rail — the developer and operator of the national rail network in the United Arab Emirates — to supply diesel multiple-unit passenger trains to the UAE.DMU trains have engines built into one or more of the rail cars and require no separate locomotive.

They will be the first DMU passenger trains manufactured in China to be exported to the UAE and will bolster the passenger service of that country's railway network.

The trains are planned to be manufactured with internationally advanced standards and technology, including the ability to operate in hot and sandy conditions. They are expected to be the fastest DMU trains in the world, according to the Chinese train maker.

The trains will be put into use in 2025 and equipped with first-class seats, second-class seats and family areas, as well as air conditioning and Wi-Fi service, according to the company.