In the bitter cold of deep winter, where dripping water turns instantly to ice, the scene on the vast fields of Longshan Street, Faku County, Shenyang on January 29 was one of determined urgency. Amidst the piercing -20°C wind, gas engineers, clad in heavy workwear and safety helmets, raced against time to align pipes, perform welds, and conduct backfilling. Where welding sparks flew, a steel "dragon" snaked out behind them, traversing fields and villages, stretching far into the distance.
This is the construction site of the China-Russia East Route connection project—the critical "throat" of Shenyang's gas supply security initiative. To ensure this energy artery becomes operational by the end of February as scheduled, all builders are engaged in a race against time, battling the severe cold in a crucial攻坚战 (decisive battle).
The China-Russia East Route connection project is a key initiative to enhance the energy security level of the Shenyang area. It involves constructing a new 7.9-kilometer-long natural gas pipeline with a DN300 diameter, designed for a pressure of 4.0 MPa. Once completed, natural gas from the China-Russia East Route will be officially injected into Faku, becoming a stable and highly efficient gas source that will flow directly to the urban areas of Shenyang. This will fundamentally rewrite the history of Shenyang's fragile gas supply, which has been overly reliant on external sources.
"Right now is the coldest period, and it's also the most critical stage of the project's final sprint," said project manager Sun Yifeng, while carefully inspecting weld quality.
Since the project commenced at the end of November 2025, the project team has overcome numerous challenges associated with winter construction, continuously optimizing their plans. They efficiently completed preliminary work—including pipeline excavation, directional drilling crossings, and pipe jacking construction—in just 20 days. To date, pipeline laying has reached 7.8 kilometers, marking 98.7% overall completion and signaling the project's entry into the final "sprint" phase. Currently, the construction team is going all out to accelerate the installation and acceptance of the remaining pipeline sections, ensuring the project is completed on time and to high quality standards.
Conquering the extreme cold requires a technological "suit of armor." The project has introduced several innovative upgrades in process technology: for the first time, it utilizes intelligent warning tapes that can be solar-powered and upload real-time pipeline status information, effectively installing a "smart nervous system" for the underground pipeline; additionally, an epoxy fiberglass protective layer has been added to the pipe exterior, significantly enhancing its corrosion resistance and ability to withstand physical damage in the low-temperature permafrost environment. These measures not only address immediate needs but also lay a solid foundation for the pipeline's safe and stable operation for decades to come.
Despite the bone-chilling wind, the worksite is bustling yet orderly. Welders work intently inside specialized windbreaks, ensuring every weld meets the highest quality standards even in the low temperatures; amid the roar of machinery, heavy equipment like excavators and cranes operate with precision under unified command. Frost coats the workers' eyelashes, yet their work pace does not slacken in the slightest.
"Once the pipeline is fully connected, natural gas can be delivered to thousands of households. No matter how cold it gets or how tough the work is, our hearts are warm and content!" Sun Yifeng said with a smile.
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