Under the grand blueprint of the "Belt and Road" Initiative, a cross-border rail transit miracle is quietly unfolding in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Yunnan Construction and Investment Holding Group's General Contracting Company successfully won the bid for Section 2 of Bid Package 1 of the Astana Light Rail Phase I project.

Zoomlion rotary drilling rigs are the core equipment for the project's pile foundation works, and they shone brightly in the severe cold of Astana with their outstanding performance and high adaptability to working conditions.

▲Astana Light Rail Project (rendering)

The extreme low temperatures of Astana's winter still posed challenges for conventional rotary drilling rig models designed for the Chinese market. Targeting the extreme low-temperature winter construction environments of high-latitude countries, Zoomlion launched a new-generation rotary drilling rig, the ZR185R, in 2024. The equipment is equipped with a low-temperature starting function that can autonomously heat the engine diesel and coolant, ensuring stable starting and operation even in extreme environments of minus 40 degrees Celsius.

▲Zoomlion foundation construction rotary drilling rig operating in the ice and snow

In addition, the Zoomlion rotary drilling rig features a carefully selected Cummins electronically controlled engine, which not only delivers strong power but also provides stable output, offering solid power assurance for efficient construction. The design of the power head balances high torque and high rotational speed, enabling rapid hole completion and high-quality pile foundation construction. It also comes standard with one-button automatic mast lowering and raising functions and self-lubrication, which reduce the operator's workload and ensure efficient progress of 24-hour uninterrupted operations.

▲Zoomlion foundation construction rotary drilling rig operating in the ice and snow

In the Astana project, the Chinese team completed in just two months the workload that a local pile foundation company would need a full year to accomplish. This feat not only won high praise from the project company but also contributed "Zoomlion Speed" and "Zoomlion Quality" to the entire "Belt and Road" construction.

▲Aurora green equipment under construction in Kazakhstan

▲Zoomlion rotary drilling rig ZR185R

Roads connect, hearts are linked. On the great journey of the "Belt and Road," Zoomlion is practicing the responsibility and commitment of a Chinese enterprise through concrete actions. The successful implementation of the Astana Light Rail project is another example of Zoomlion's deepening cooperation with Kazakhstan and even the Central Asian region. In the future, we look forward to joining hands with more partners to jointly promote deeper and more substantive "Belt and Road" construction and contribute more wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.