The world’s first “low carbon” tunnel boring machine (TBM) was successfully launched at the Taormina section of the high-speed railway project in Sicily, Italy on July 23.
The deployment of the “CREC 1237” shield is a significant milestone for the China Railway Group Limited (CREC) in the development of advanced, intelligent and environmentally-friendly TBM.
The high-speed railway tunnel project in Sicily comprises two sections, with “CREC 1237” responsible for excavating the Taormina section, which spans 4.9 kilometers and reaches a maximum burial depth of 200 meters.
The “CREC 1237” TBM is a model developed by CREC specifically for the overseas market and adheres to European standards. It is the first shield machine to apply the green development concept.
The machine, featuring “intelligent control” and “low-carbon environmental protection”, has an excavation diameter of 9.16 meters, a total length of 135 meters, and a weight of approximately 1,900 tons. The automatic intelligent management system allows the machine to achieve optimal efficiency and energy consumption during excavation, reducing emissions by about 20 percent compared to conventional TBMs of the same class.
The “CREC 1237” TBM aligns with customers’ needs for green, low-carbon and sustainable development. It has already been popular with international clients: To date, CREC has exported nearly 20 types of TBMs to Italy.
