Along the coast of Dapeng Bay in Shenzhen, southern China, a major construction milestone was achieved with the successful air-lifting of the dome for a 160,000-cubic-meter LNG storage tank. The gigantic steel dome, weighing more than 600 tons, was gently lifted by air pressure and precisely positioned at a height of 55 meters. The entire operation took two and a half hours, with the positioning error controlled to within a millimeter, demonstrating remarkable engineering precision.

The air-lifting technique is based on an ingenious principle. A sealed chamber is formed between the dome and the tank wall, while powerful blowers continuously pump air into the space to increase internal pressure and create a stable pressure differential. Once the upward buoyant force exceeds the dome's weight and overcomes frictional resistance, the massive steel structure rises steadily at a uniform speed without the need for large cranes.

Upon the completion of Phase II of the Shenzhen Natural Gas Storage and Peak-Shaving Depot, the city's emergency natural gas reserve capacity will increase from a seven-day supply to more than 30 days.