Cover Story
Hubei Taihe is considered an expert in the LNG valve industry , a sector with a very high technical threshold . The company is endorsed by both its sound track record involving almost every largescale LNG terminal in China and its outstanding performance in the overseas market . Besides a full range of LNG cryogenic valves , Taihe has built up a unique “ cryogenic valve digital full lifecycle management system ” and several service centres around the globe .
By Laura Wang , Valve World , Shanghai
Hubei Taihe : The cryogenic valve expert
From LNG to a full range of cryogenic valves
As the company has grown to be a leading brand , it has gained a remarkable track record and sound reputation . Yet Mr Zhang Wenzhong , the founder of Hubei Taihe Petrochemical Equipment Co ., Ltd . ( Taihe ) believes that LNG valves are never an easy arena for manufacturers . With over thirty years of experience in LNG cryogenic product R & D and marketing , Mr Zhang emphasises that the technical threshold for this sector is very high . Neither simple imitation nor short-term developments can create true value in this field . Located in Zigui County , Hubei Province - known for its proximity to the famous Three Gorges Dam – Taihe was established in 2007 . However , its research of cryogenic valves dates back to the early 1990s when Mr Zhang worked as technical director of a renowned European valve company . He gained a deep knowledge and understanding of manufacturing processes and technical solutions and , most importantly , created a pioneering design idea and service principle . This dictated that Taihe would have LNG cryogenic valves as its core product and would eventually be viewed as an LNG valve expert .
Impressive track record
Taihe has built up a full range of cryogenic valve products . Impressively , 80 % of all 46 ” LNG terminal valves installed in China were made by Taihe . From the perspective of product type , Taihe butterfly valves for LNG applications account for 90 %, and Taihe ball valves account for 60-70 %. Other special types , such as the 46 ” class 150 top-side mounted triple offset cryogenic butterfly valve are used by PipeChina Longkou LNG Co ., Ltd . In total , the Longkou project uses 5053 quality Taihe valves , including ∞ ” – 46 ” Class150 – 1500 cryogenic ball , butterfly , globe , check and control valves . These statistics make Taihe the valve manufacturer who has supplied the most valves
8 Valve World March 2024 www . valve-world . net