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Industry Background: Demand-Driven Innovation Makes Vacuum Insulated Pipelines Critical Infrastructure
With the global energy structure transitioning towards cleaner solutions, the demand for storage and transportation of cryogenic fluids such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquid oxygen, and liquid hydrogen continues to grow.
Vacuum insulated pipelines, leveraging their ultra-low thermal conductivity (0.002-0.004 W/m·K) and high energy efficiency, have emerged as core equipment for ensuring safe transport of extreme-temperature media.
According to the 2025-2030 Global Cryogenic Insulation Materials Market Report, the vacuum insulated pipeline market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 12% over the next five years, with the Asia-Pacific region accounting for over 40% of the market share.
Technological Breakthroughs: Dual Improvements in Sealing and Stability
Recent advancements by domestic enterprises in vacuum insulated pipeline technology include:
1.Multi-Layer Composite Sealing Technology: A Zhejiang-based company developed a "flange-type liquid oxygen vacuum insulated pipeline" using a tapered deep-groove + silicone rubber thick ring + graphite gasket composite structure. This design achieves a leakage rate below 0.001% at flange connections and has been successfully applied in aerospace fuel refueling systems
2.Enhanced Inner Tube Stability: To address vibration issues in LNG pipelines, a new design incorporates retaining rings + liners + linkage supports, limiting inner tube displacement deviation to ±2mm and effectively mitigating the risk of low-temperature brittle fractures. Such products have achieved a 65% import substitution rate in coastal receiving terminal projects].
3.Intelligent Monitoring Systems: Vacuum insulated pipelines integrated with fiber optic sensors can provide real-time feedback on vacuum levels, stress deformation, and other data, improving early warning efficiency by 90%. These systems are currently operational in a hydrogen energy storage and transportation demonstration project in Jiangsu Province.
pplication Scenarios: Comprehensive Coverage from Traditional Energy to Emerging Fields
·LNG Industry Chain: In 2024, the total length of vacuum insulated pipelines deployed in newly built domestic LNG receiving terminals increased by 28% year-on-year. The CNOOC Zhuhai Project alone utilized over 15 kilometers of pipelines, supporting an annual unloading capacity of 5 million tons].
·Hydrogen Energy Storage and Transportation: Liquid hydrogen transmission pipelines require vacuum insulation layers to withstand ultra-low temperatures of -253°C. China's first 10-kilometer-class liquid hydrogen test pipeline passed acceptance in late 2024, achieving a vacuum maintenance lifespan exceeding 10 years].
·Medical Cold Chain: Vaccine transportation pipelines equipped with lightweight vacuum insulation structures maintain temperature fluctuations within ≤0.5°C, supporting WHO's "Global Vaccine Equity Distribution Plan"].
Policies and Standards: Accelerated Industry Standardization
In January 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation released the Technical Specifications for Vacuum Insulation of Pressure Pipelines (GB/T 39955-2025), which for the first time stipulates:
·Vacuum decay rate must be below 5×10⁻⁴ Pa/year;
·Density deviation of multi-layer insulation materials must be ≤3%;
·Mandatory installation of intelligent leakage monitoring modules.
This initiative has driven 30% of low-end production capacity out of the market, increasing the market concentration of leading enterprises to 70%
Future Outlook: Integration of Cryogenic Technology and Green Manufacturing
The industry's next phase will focus on two major directions:
1.Cryogenic-Adaptive Materials: Developing nano-aerogel composite materials resistant to -270°C, reducing pipeline weight by 30%;
2.Circular Economy Models: Promoting modular pipeline designs to achieve insulation layer recycling rates exceeding 85%, aligning with the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
Conclusion
The iterative advancement of vacuum insulated pipeline technology is profoundly reshaping cryogenic fluid storage and transportation systems. With accelerated domestic substitution and enhanced influence in international standards, Chinese enterprises are poised to capture higher value-added segments in the global industrial chain.
