Strategic Collaboration and Technical Direction
On June 16, 2021, DBC Group Co., Ltd. held a strategic partnership agreement signing ceremony and cooperation exchange meeting for pipeline non-digging repair technology with Shanghai Water Conservancy Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. and BASF in Shanghai. Senior executives and representatives from the companies attended the signing ceremony, including Lin Fanqiu, Chairman of DBC Group Co., Ltd.; Qian Zhibin, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai Water Conservancy Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.; Cao Hengzhao, Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of Shanghai Water Conservancy Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.; Liu Yaqian, Vice President of Global Advanced Solutions at BASF; Han Wei, Vice President of Shanghai Innovation Park at BASF; and Liu Shuai, Director of Dispersed Systems Business in Greater China at BASF.
Qian Zhibin, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai Water Conservancy Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.; Cao Hengzhao, Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager; Gu Weidong, Vice General Manager and Chief Engineer; Li Ren, Vice General Manager; Liu Yaqian, Vice President of Global Advanced Solutions at BASF; Han Wei, Vice President of Shanghai Innovation Park at BASF; and Liu Shuai, Director of Dispersed Systems Business in Greater China at BASF; along with Lin Fanqiu, Chairman of DBC Group Co., Ltd.; Lin Zhiqiang, General Manager of Shanghai DBC Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd.; and Dou Wanqiang, Deputy General Manager of DBC New Materials Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. attended the signing ceremony and cooperation exchange meeting.
According to the agreement, the three parties will establish a comprehensive strategic partnership based on the principles of long-term vision, mutual advantage, market orientation, and win-win cooperation. They will jointly develop pipeline non-digging repair technology systems to promote the full-scale implementation and application of this innovative technology in urban water supply pipelines. This will significantly reduce traffic congestion caused by pipeline repair and renovation, thereby enhancing urban water supply safety and saving urban space while beautifying the city.
Urban Water Supply Pipeline Repair Needs
According to data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, China's urban water supply pipeline length reached 920,082 kilometers in 2019, while the drainage pipeline length was 743,982 kilometers. Behind the continuous improvement of China's water supply network system and the rapid growth in the length of urban water supply pipelines, a significant issue that cannot be ignored is the increasing severity of pipeline aging, corrosion, and burst leakage.
Safe water supply benefits both the country and its people. Ensuring water safety is crucial for public health and social stability. The safety of urban water supply pipelines has become a common challenge worldwide, especially in the renovation and repair of these pipelines. Underground water supply pipelines have been in use for several decades, and their aging, corrosion, and leakage can affect water safety. Replacing or repairing urban underground water supply pipelines requires substantial financial investment and engineering work, which can cause environmental damage and severe traffic congestion.
Due to the limitations of conventional technical methods and the practical challenges in cost and technology faced by foreign companies in innovation applications, these issues have remained unresolved for a long time. Therefore, revolutionary innovative technological solutions are urgently needed to address problems such as aging and damage to water supply pipelines, corrosion, and pollution.
In urban water supply pipeline repair projects, the persistent issues of prolonged traffic congestion on roads and disruptions in residents' lives due to water shutdowns are common. How can these two major objective problems be resolved while also achieving comprehensive restoration of old water supply pipelines? Tunnel Investment and Shanghai DBC Group have been collaborating for a long time to research and experiment with solutions to this challenge, ultimately proposing the most efficient and safe technological innovation solution. Recently, both parties jointly developed and implemented a systematic solution for water supply pipeline repair technology with BASF, the world's largest chemical company.
From left: Liu Yaqian, Senior Vice President of BASF's global colloidal-systems development platform; Qian Zhibin, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai Water Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.; and Lin Fanqiu, Chairman of DBC Group Co., Ltd., sign a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement on trenchless pipeline rehabilitation technology.
On May 24, during a multi-party high-level strategic dialogue organized by DBC, representatives from Shanghai Urban Construction (Group) Co., Ltd., Tunnel Investment, Shanghai Water Conservancy Construction, DBC Group, and BASF engaged in comprehensive technical discussions on innovative organic urban renewal. They also conducted in-depth exchanges on the innovative research results of pipeline repair technology and reached a deep cooperation intention.
Partnership Background
About DBC New Materials: DBC New Materials Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of DBC Group, was established in Shanghai, China in 2016. As a national high-tech enterprise, it focuses on the development and application of new materials, driven by environmental protection material applications and serving users with a commitment to their well-being. This collaboration aligns with DBC's vision of 'innovating future applications to provide high-quality solutions for the safety and convenience of human life and the environment.' DBC will continue to focus on the innovative development of traditional industries and work with outstanding partners to advance the construction of organic cities through infrastructure technological innovation.
About Shanghai Water Conservancy Construction: Shanghai Water Conservancy Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. is a state-owned large enterprise primarily engaged in urban water supply, water environment construction, and municipal engineering general contracting. It was formed by the strong integration of Shanghai Water Supply Equipment Engineering Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Water Environment Construction Co., Ltd. In 2014, during the new round of state-owned enterprise reform, the company was fully transferred to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co., Ltd., marking a new chapter in its development.
About BASF Chemicals: BASF is the world's largest chemical company, with approximately 110,000 employees globally and contributions to success for almost all industries. Its products are categorized into six business segments: chemicals, materials, industrial solutions, surface technologies, nutrition & care, and agricultural solutions. In 2020, BASF's global sales amounted to approximately €59 billion.
BASF in Greater China - The partnership between BASF and the Chinese market dates back to 1885. Since then, BASF has been a reliable partner in China. As one of the key foreign-invested enterprises in the Chinese chemical industry, BASF's main production sites are located in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Chongqing, with the Shanghai Innovation Center serving as a global and regional R&D hub. In 2020, BASF's sales to customers in the Greater China region amounted to approximately €8.5 billion, with a workforce of 8,948 employees by year-end.
