The manufacturing technology for Chinese oil refining equipment-specifically hydroprocessing reactors, which serve as core components-has evolved from the assimilation of imported technology to independent innovation, ultimately reaching a world-leading level.
Japan Steel Works produced the first hydroprocessing reactor in 1963; China began mastering the manufacturing technology for these reactors in the late 1970s.
In 1989, China First Heavy Industries (CFHI) manufactured China's first fully domestically produced large-scale forged-and-welded hydroprocessing reactor; in December 1998, CFHI successfully developed a 1,000-ton class forged-and-welded hydroprocessing reactor entirely on its own.
Between 2003 and 2006, CFHI successfully developed what was then the world's largest coal liquefaction hydroprocessing reactor (weighing 2,044 tons); in 2008, China achieved its first export of a large-tonnage forged-and-welded hydroprocessing reactor.
In 2019, China's first slurry-bed reactor (2,270 tons) was delivered; in 2020, the world's heaviest single hydroprocessing reactor (3,025 tons) was completed; in 2021, a forged-and-welded hydroprocessing reactor with the world's thickest wall (358 mm) was finished; and in April 2024, CFHI completed and delivered all 12 of the world's largest 3,000-ton class slurry-bed forged-and-welded hydroprocessing reactors, marking a steady milestone in China's manufacturing capabilities for heavy-duty petrochemical equipment at the "3,000-ton" level.