XCMG Unveils World’s Largest 14,000-Ton Ring Crane
Chinese heavy-equipment maker XCMG has introduced what it describes as the world’s largest ring crane, a 14,000-ton lifting machine developed jointly with Sinopec Heavy Lifting & Transportation Co., Ltd. The company says the crane marks a milestone for heavy-lift technology and is intended to serve large-scale construction projects, including nuclear power plants, worldwide.
The crane rolled off the assembly line in Xuzhou, China, on August 29, 2026. It is built as a modular system composed of two main units designed to work together. According to XCMG, the first of those units has already completed final assembly and is capable of performing independent lifting operations. Once both units are finished and combined, the crane is expected to reach a maximum lifting capacity of 14,000 tons and a maximum load moment of 700,000 ton-meters, figures the company says will place several of its technical specifications among the highest in the industry.
Yang Dongsheng, chairman of XCMG Group and XCMG Machinery, called the machine more than an incremental upgrade, describing it as a transformative leap for the global heavy-lift industry. He said the collaboration with Sinopec has produced an integrated model spanning research, manufacturing and field application, which he framed as a new benchmark for independent innovation in large-scale engineering equipment. The crane also incorporates a direct-drive electric system that converts electricity straight into mechanical motion, which XCMG says cuts energy use by more than 30 percent, improves operating efficiency by 20 percent, and reduces both fuel costs and carbon emissions.
XCMG positions the crane for use across several energy sectors. In conventional power plants, the company says it can lift entire large columns and tanks as single units rather than in sections, a method intended to reduce risk during assembly, pressure testing and other installation work. For nuclear facilities, XCMG claims the crane is the first in the world capable of handling reactor modules and oversized equipment for two nuclear islands from a single crane position using one boom configuration. In offshore wind projects, the machine’s lifting capacity and height are described as sufficient to install larger turbine units than current equipment allows.
The introduction of the crane comes as nuclear construction programs around the world trend toward larger, more modular designs, a shift that has increased demand for equipment capable of moving oversized components in fewer lifts. Heavy-lift cranes of this scale are typically deployed on a handful of major infrastructure projects at a time, given their size, cost and specialized transport requirements, and manufacturers in this segment often compete on load capacity, energy efficiency and the ability to consolidate multiple lifting steps into one operation.
China’s equipment manufacturers have expanded their presence in the global heavy machinery market in recent years, pushing into segments long dominated by European and other established crane makers. Offshore wind expansion and renewed interest in nuclear power in several countries have added to demand for equipment able to handle increasingly large turbine components and reactor modules, a trend companies such as XCMG are citing to justify continued investment in oversized lifting technology.
XCMG said it plans to continue developing large-scale engineering equipment and to offer construction solutions aimed at improving safety, efficiency and energy use for clients internationally, according to a statement reported via PR Newswire.
