China Assembles First Unit of Massive Ring Crane Aiming for 14,000-Ton Capacity

Chinese engineering companies have reached a significant milestone in heavy machinery development by completing the assembly of the first unit of what is designed to be the world's largest ring crane. Developed jointly by XCMG and Sinopec Heavy Lifting & Transportation in Xuzhou, located in the Chinese province of Jiangsu, the dual-unit system aims to achieve a combined maximum lifting capacity of 14,000 tons once fully integrated.

The announcement, made on August 28, 2026, marks the completion of the first of two primary structural units. According to technical details, each individual unit is engineered to lift up to 7,000 tons independently. While both structures can operate separately for standard heavy-lifting tasks, they are uniquely designed to work in tandem to manage extraordinarily heavy loads that neither could handle alone.

The 14,000-ton figure represents the maximum announced limit for the combined system rather than a load lifted during actual operations. The machinery also features a maximum load moment of 700,000 ton-meters, which accounts for the relationship between the weight of the lifted object and its distance from the central axis of rotation. Specialized publications have noted that comprehensive public load charts detailing weight limits at varying distances are not yet available.

Ring cranes differ significantly from conventional equipment due to their circular track bases, which distribute massive weights and allow the lifting structure and counterweights to rotate around a fixed point. The XCMG system incorporates an electric direct-drive mechanism to reduce energy consumption by more than 30 percent, alongside a precise synchronization system connecting over 100 slew motors to boost operational efficiency.

The primary commercial application for the heavy-lift system involves the construction of nuclear power facilities. Because modern nuclear projects utilize heavily modularized components that must be positioned with extreme precision over closely situated structures, the crane is designed to service two nuclear islands from a single location without requiring repositioning or reconfiguration of its boom.

China currently houses a substantial share of global nuclear development, with numerous reactor units either approved or under construction. Beyond the nuclear sector, the manufacturers intend to deploy the ultra-heavy crane for conventional energy projects, large-scale petrochemical manufacturing, and offshore wind energy installations.

The development of the colossal machine has involved a lengthy research and engineering timeline that began with joint research efforts in 2015. Project specifics were publicly disclosed in 2024, followed by a formal contract signing with Sinopec in October 2025. Specialized component suppliers have also contributed to the project, including NGC, which developed reducers for the lifting and travel mechanisms, and Xingcheng Special Steel, which provided high-strength steels for high-stress components.

When compared with other prominent heavy-lift ring cranes currently in operation, the scale of the Chinese project becomes clear. The SK6000, built by the Netherlands-based company Mammoet, features a maximum capacity of 6,000 tons, while Sarens' SGC-250, known as Big Carl, reaches 5,000 tons. Although the XCMG development surpasses these capacities on paper, the entire system must still undergo comprehensive joint testing to demonstrate its capabilities in the field.