Cover Story
Cryogenic test of 42” 300 # butterfly valve in OHL workshop. Cryogenic test of high pressure valves.
In the recent civil and military marine project, the valves underwent extensive shock and vibration testing, simulating conditions far more severe than any commercial vessel would ever see.“ Our valves need to remain fully operational under permanent vibration and sudden impact. In these scenarios, safety comes down to milliseconds,” Mr Röhrig notes. In China’ s largest gas field, OHL is supplying high-pressure cryogenic valves that need
Wolfgang Röhrig. to remain helium-tight at-196 ° C, under pressures up to class 900 # and diameters up to 42 inches. This requires a deep understanding of material expansion behaviours, especially when different metals have to interact.“ The hardest part is not the individual material,” Mr Röhrig explains.“ It’ s getting the entire system, seals, flanges, stems, to behave consistently under extreme thermal contraction and expansion. That’ s our niche.”
The longevity legacy
One of OHL’ s most remarkable achievements is the longevity of its products: valves that last more than 50 years in continuous industrial service. This is not theoretical but a documented reality. In the 1970s, OHL supplied shutoff valves to a Canadian natural gas processing plant. Those same valves remained in use until just a couple of years ago. Similar longevity has been documented in India, where valves installed at Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar refinery in the 1990s are still going strong.“ Our design philosophy is centred on repairability,” says Mr Röhrig.“ Every valve we build can be disassembled, refurbished and put back into service. That’ s how we enable not just performance but true sustainability.” In an era where‘ net-zero’ has become a buzzword, OHL’ s approach is about emphasising quality over disposability. Creating such quality and long-lasting products ensures fewer replacements, lower total cost for customers and reduced material usage.“ There’ s a reason some of our customers stay with us for decades,” Mr Röhrig adds.“ Our valves outlive many of the plants they’ re installed in.”
10 Valve World August 2025 www. valve-world. net