The first step of “going global” demonstrates courage; every subsequent step demands perseverance; and the future of “going global” must be extraordinary. It is precisely through these steady, incremental steps that miracles are born. Under the leadership of Project Manager Ma Yunhai, all the cadres and employees of the Nantong Construction Engineering Indonesia PT OSS Self-Generated Power Plant Project Team have boldly “gone global,” pursuing their dreams overseas while carrying forward and promoting the Nantong Construction Engineering Iron Army spirit of hard work, pioneering initiative, and relentless determination. They have tackled tough challenges head-on, pressed forward with courage, and, through concrete actions, brought to life the grand vision of the Belt and Road Initiative. In doing so, they have left Nantong Construction Engineering’s renowned name on Sulawesi Island and proudly showcased China’s image along the equator.

The PT OSS self-owned power plant in Indonesia is the first project undertaken by Nantong Construction Engineering in response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Chinese-invested company Delong Nickel Industry in Indonesia. Located on Sulawesi Island in Indonesia, our company has successively undertaken the construction of Units 2 and 3 of this project. Civil engineering works for Units 6, 7, and 10, as well as individual projects including the pump houses for Units 1 and 3, open channels, the coal-handling control building, the trestle bridge, the coal-crushing building, and the 120-meter and 150-meter chimneys.

Bravely tackling tough challenges, racing against time under the stars and moon to meet the deadline.

As the saying goes, “The first step is the hardest.” When entering the Indonesian market for the first time, the project team will face numerous challenges related to the climate and environment, local culture, and indigenous customs. To facilitate a swift on-site deployment and kickstart operations, In the initial phase, the project management team that had already arrived on site dispersed to carry out their respective tasks: during the day, they conducted in-depth research on local market conditions for materials, equipment, and labor; at night, they actively supported EPC operations. In just under two months, they successfully established the project office, arranged accommodation and living arrangements for staff, and completed a comprehensive survey of the local construction market, thereby ensuring thorough preparation for construction and laying a solid foundation for the subsequent arrival of additional personnel and the early commencement of project works.

Due to the owner’s tight schedule for commissioning the power generation units, the civil engineering foundation construction phase presented an exceptionally heavy workload. Coupled with the region’s unique climatic conditions, insufficient availability of overseas construction resources, and other challenges, the project faced considerable pressure. In response, the project team pooled its collective wisdom and implemented targeted, effective measures. Southeast Sulawesi Province in Indonesia—where the project is located—is situated on the equator, with year-round temperatures ranging from 27°C to 37°C and intense ultraviolet radiation, characteristic of a typical tropical rainforest climate. The area experiences only two seasons: a dry season and a rainy season that lasts as long as six months, during which rainfall is extremely heavy. The sweltering outdoor temperatures and the protracted rainy season have had a profound impact on construction operations and the overall project schedule. During the dry season, the project team organized shift rotations among work crews to maximize overtime and accelerate progress; in the rainy season, it deployed personnel around the clock to pump out floodwater and ensure uninterrupted construction. Even when the schedule was particularly tight, workers were provided with rain gear so they could continue working in the rain. In addition, a large number of local laborers were promptly hired to make up for staffing shortages and to free up Chinese technical personnel, who then mentored their local counterparts through hands-on guidance and on-the-job training. When staffing levels dropped due to employee leave, all project management personnel embodied the “Iron Army Spirit,” stepping up to the front lines regardless of position, role, time of day, or weather conditions, thereby fully demonstrating the Group’s four core spirits that define its advanced overseas teams.

Through relentless efforts, the project team successfully completed all milestone construction tasks as required by the owner, earning full recognition from both the supervising engineer and the owner. As a result, additional works beyond the original contract were approved, increasing the contract value from RMB 60 million to RMB 200 million. In 2020, owing to outstanding coordination skills and a strong sense of teamwork, PT OSS Power Plant specially sent a letter of appreciation to Nantong Construction Group, and the project team was subsequently recognized as an “Outstanding Contractor” by PT OSS Power Plant.

Quality First: Rigorous Control and Management to Create Premium Products

Given the unique characteristics of thermal power engineering projects, particularly the critical role that the quality of turbine-generator foundation construction plays in determining whether the turbine generator can be smoothly installed and put into operation, the project team has made every effort to ensure that the PT OSS Thermal Power Project in Indonesia is delivered to the owner’s complete satisfaction. To this end, all members of the project team have rigorously implemented the project quality objectives, adhered to the company’s quality policy, fulfilled their respective management responsibilities, and organized construction and management in a scientific and effective manner.

Quality is the lifeblood of an enterprise and the cornerstone of its profitability. Delivering high-quality projects is the guiding principle of the project team and reflects the unwavering commitment and determination of all its members. To achieve the established quality objectives, the project team has formulated a practical quality management plan tailored to local conditions throughout the construction process:

—The construction project implements a “sample demonstration and technical briefing” system. Construction technicians from the project department conduct clear technical briefings for work crews and individual workers, with a strong emphasis on hands-on instruction. Technical personnel provide meticulous guidance on both technical procedures and quality control, ensuring that workers thoroughly master all construction processes and fully understand operational essentials and compliance with relevant codes and standards. This approach has replaced the previous practice of perfunctory technical briefings, fostering a shared commitment to quality among all project staff and enabling continuous monitoring and management throughout the entire construction process in accordance with predetermined quality objectives.

—Strengthen quality control throughout the construction process. Require site supervisors to conduct pre-construction briefings for each sub-item of work, carry out on-site inspections during construction, and promptly rework any nonconforming areas. Implement rigorous quality control during construction by reinforcing the “self-inspection, mutual inspection, and handover inspection” system, as well as the inspection and acceptance procedures conducted by site supervisors within the project department. Strictly enforce the reward-and-penalty system for nonconforming samples, thereby enhancing the sense of responsibility among management personnel and workers and preventing schedule delays and material waste caused by rework.

— Coordinating construction management to maximize schedule compression. Instilling in the entire project management team the principle that shortening the schedule equates to cost savings and value creation, while optimizing the sequencing of construction processes and coordinating concurrent operations, establishing a system for protecting finished works, and rigorously implementing these measures throughout the construction process.

Safety First: Rigorously Implement Measures to Ensure Public Safety

Safe and civilized construction is a prerequisite for the smooth progress of a project, a stabilizing factor that ensures high-standard project delivery, and the most direct reflection of a construction company’s image. To this end, the project management team has formulated corresponding measures tailored to the characteristics of each individual structure and each construction process.

—Ensuring safety through technology. The project includes deep excavation works such as the turbine foundation, the circulating water pump pit foundation, the desulfurization seawater booster pump house, the desulfurization aeration tank, and the secondary seawater circulating pump house; all these excavations exceed 5 meters in depth, with some reaching as deep as 9 meters. Moreover, the construction site is composed of reclaimed marshland with poor geological conditions, posing significant risks during deep-excavation operations, particularly in the rainy season. Another challenging task is the cofferdam construction at the mouth of the drainage canal, which extends 30–40 meters into the sea and requires excavating 4–5 meters into the beach, presenting numerous difficulties for cofferdam installation. To address these challenges, the project team has maintained close communication with the owner and the supervising engineer, leveraging existing on-site equipment and employing a combination of technical measures, including jet-grouting pile reinforcement to stabilize the soil, deep-well and light-duty well-point dewatering, caisson sinking, and soil replacement, to ensure slope stability and construction safety.

—Strengthen safety inspections and acceptance procedures. In thermal power projects, the construction of steam turbine generators is a particularly challenging task; the platform beams on the turbine operating level constitute a high-formwork system with a maximum concentrated linear load of 34 kN/m and a maximum erection height of 15 meters. Prior to commencement, project technical personnel, based on the high-formwork construction plan approved by the supervisor and the owner, conducted detailed technical briefings for on-site workers and intensified inspection during formwork support erection, promptly rectifying any identified safety hazards. Ultimately, a joint acceptance inspection involving the project management team, the supervisor, and the owner was carried out to ensure the stability of the high-formwork system prior to concrete placement. In addition, routine inspections were strengthened to identify and address habitual violations by construction personnel; each violation discovered was subject to corresponding performance evaluation, thereby reducing unsafe factors arising during construction. Furthermore, safety inspections were reinforced for masonry and plastering scaffolding as well as edge and opening protection measures, ensuring that only compliant equipment and practices are used and that no non-compliant items or conditions are overlooked.

— Strengthen safety awareness education. Enhance the safety consciousness of project management personnel by making workplace safety a priority on the agenda; ensure that managers lead by example in complying with safety regulations and refraining from issuing unlawful instructions; reinforce safety education for construction workers to prevent unauthorized operations; intensify training on workplace discipline and strict adherence to safety operating procedures; and provide comprehensive safety knowledge training to ensure that all workers maintain a safe working posture throughout the course of their duties.

— Strengthening epidemic prevention and control efforts. 2020 was an extraordinary year: the sudden COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, and Indonesia was no exception. In response, the project office promptly formulated an epidemic prevention and control plan and emergency measures, and actively procured necessary protective supplies. The canteen implemented a portioned-meal system and ensured a nutritionally balanced diet for workers; disinfectant hand sanitizer was provided at water stations to facilitate handwashing and sanitization before leaving work and before meals; daily temperature checks were conducted for all personnel to keep track of their health status at all times; regular disinfection was carried out every day in living-area facilities such as the canteen, dormitories, and restrooms; workers’ commutes were closely monitored, and they were prohibited from shopping at local stores to minimize exposure to the virus; routine inspections were conducted during construction to ensure proper mask-wearing and to correct any improper practices; the project office also leveraged posters and the WeChat platform to enhance public awareness of preventive measures. Through this comprehensive set of measures, epidemic prevention has been integrated into daily operations and made a standard practice, and the situation is currently under control.

Under the care of Chairman Zhang Xiangyang and other leaders of the Group, and with the strong assistance and guidance of our overseas subsidiaries, the PT OSS Self-Generated Power Plant Project Team in Indonesia has built everything from scratch. All staff and management have overcome numerous challenges during construction, approaching their work with a proactive, determined, and problem-solving attitude. Adhering to the owner’s schedule, they have made every effort to advance the project and successfully completed all construction tasks. To date, the civil works for Units 2, 3, 6, and 7, as well as the desulfurization seawater booster pump house, desulfurization aeration tank, secondary seawater circulation pump house, external water-supply open channel, selected sections of the external drainage open channel, the 120-meter chimney for Unit 2, and the 150-meter chimney for Unit 3 have all been fully completed. Other individual works are currently progressing smoothly.

After three years of arduous efforts by the project team, the PT OSS Cogeneration Plant project in Indonesia has entered the final stage of completion and commissioning. In the period ahead, the primary focus of the project team will be to closely coordinate with the installation contractor to complete the installation of the remaining four generating units as soon as possible and bring them online for power generation, thereby ensuring the comprehensive and efficient completion of the PT OSS Cogeneration Plant project in Indonesia.

“Step out, and the world lies before your eyes.” Project Manager Ma Yunhai and all the staff and workers of the project team are confident that, with the resounding call of the Belt and Road Initiative and under the sound guidance of national strategy, the Group’s overseas operations will march toward their next glorious milestone, striving to open up even greater opportunities for realizing our dreams on the global stage.

(General Manager’s Office, Guo Qiyun)