The launch ceremony for the FAW Jiefang Aowei 16L plant takes place in Wuxi, on Feb 26. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

A new plant making the Aowei 16L diesel engine for heavy-duty trucks manufactured by FAW Jiefang – the truck-making subsidiary of auto giant FAW located in Northeast China's Jilin province – started production recently.

According to local media reports, the official launch ceremony was held on Feb 26 in the city of Wuxi, in East China's Jiangsu province, where the plant is located.

The FAW Jiefang plant began construction on Sept 26, 2020. It was the first major investment project by FAW Jiefang in Wuxi during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

The total cost was 1.23 billion yuan ($178 million), with a construction area of 38,000 square meters. It has an annual production capacity of 20,000 16L engines and a test capacity for 60,000 natural gas engines.

The company said the factory has adopted the world's most advanced design and the industry's highest standard products, and was committed to being a benchmark factory in the engine industry in the next decade.

The Aowei 16L engine launched by FAW Jiefang integrates 10 innovative technologies, four of which are said to have reached international levels. The company said the engine has the characteristics of super power, super economy, super high reliability, super safety, and super long oil change intervals.