2025 marks the end of the ultra-low emission transformation in the steel industry. By 2025, the ultra-low emission transformation of steel enterprises in key regions will be basically completed, and the country will strive to complete the transformation of over 80% of production capacity.
However, since the beginning of this year, China's steel industry has suffered industry losses for several consecutive months, and enterprises are facing difficulties such as severe imbalance between market supply and demand, significant decline in steel prices, and high iron ore prices. Faced with such a severe situation, many people are concerned, especially in areas with fierce market competition, about how steel companies can continue to ensure the timely completion of ultra-low emission transformation tasks and high-quality operation in their funding chain.
"Since last year, the process of ultra-low emission transformation in the steel industry has significantly accelerated, with increased investment in energy conservation and environmental protection throughout the industry, and the environmental protection level of steel enterprises has further improved. In a more intense market competition environment, steel enterprises must ensure smooth production and operation, and complete and maintain ultra-low emissions. They must use green transformation to seek development, use energy conservation and carbon reduction to win the future, and jointly explore how to reduce the investment and operation costs of ultra-low emission transformation, achieve transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development of enterprises." Feng Chao, Deputy Secretary General of the China Iron and Steel Industry Association and Director of the Department of Science and Technology and Environmental Protection, said at the recently hosted high-quality ultra-low emission technology exchange conference in the steel industry.
Technological innovation is the core driving force
Currently, many enterprises are still actively implementing ultra-low emission transformation.
According to the latest data released by the China Iron and Steel Industry Association, as of May 15, 2024, a total of 138 steel enterprises (including one pellet enterprise) have completed or partially completed ultra-low emission transformation and evaluation monitoring. Among them, 96 steel companies have completed the entire process of ultra-low emission transformation, involving a crude steel production capacity of about 445 million tons, and an investment of about 454.5 yuan per ton of ultra-low emission transformation of steel; 42 steel companies have partially completed ultra-low emission transformation, involving a crude steel production capacity of approximately 144 million tons; The 32 enterprises currently under review (48 public materials) involve a crude steel production capacity of approximately 54 million tons.
"In the first quarter of this year, while facing huge challenges in the entire industry, environmental indicators continued to improve and environmental performance continued to improve. For example, the emissions of sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides per ton of steel decreased by 2.99%, 5.94%, and 6.49% year-on-year, respectively. What is relying on? The most fundamental thing is technology." Feng Chao said that for the steel industry, technological innovation is the core driving force for promoting green and low-carbon development in the entire industry. After years of practice, a number of advanced steel ultra-low emission technologies have been developed, applied, and promoted in the industry, providing strong support for promoting high-quality completion of ultra-low emission transformation in steel enterprises. Through this technical exchange meeting, mature technologies can be promoted, helping enterprises reduce selection costs and achieve better implementation results.
It is reported that in 2023, in order to further promote high-quality ultra-low emission transformation of steel, guide enterprises to implement ultra-low emission transformation work with higher quality, higher efficiency, and less investment, the China Iron and Steel Industry Association will conduct research, evaluation, selection, and industry expert voting on the basis of collecting and summarizing a list of ultra-low emission technologies for steel, and preliminarily determine the encouraged, research and development, and cautious use technologies. Among them, 32 out of the best are selected to form an encouraged list of ultra-low emission BAT (Best Practicable Technology) in the steel industry.
"Effectively and actively promoting mature and reliable steel ultra-low emission technologies can effectively reduce the transformation investment of enterprises that have not yet implemented ultra-low emission transformation, gradually reduce the operating costs of enterprises that have already implemented ultra-low emission transformation, and promote the completion of the target task of ultra-low emission transformation in the industry." Huang Dao, Deputy Chief Engineer of the China Iron and Steel Industry Association, pointed out that in the process of ultra-low emission transformation, steel enterprises have added many governance facilities, and environmental protection operation and maintenance costs continue to increase. Further technological innovation and optimization are needed to reduce or optimize environmental protection facilities and reduce operating costs on the premise of stable compliance. This is an inevitable choice to cope with the current high business pressure in the industry, and also a necessary path for enterprises to enhance competitiveness and promote high-quality development.
Advanced environmental protection technology also needs to be effectively integrated with management
As one of the organizers of this conference, Zhongtian Iron and Steel Group (Nantong) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Nantong Zhongtian Iron and Steel) recently completed the full process ultra-low emission transformation and the public announcement of the progress of evaluation and monitoring. In recent years, Nantong Zhongtian Iron and Steel has invested over 3 billion yuan to carry out ultra-low emission transformation on the three core links of organized emissions, unorganized emissions, and clean transportation.
According to Shan Daming, Director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Department of Nantong Zhongtian Iron and Steel, due to the use of a large number of technologies in the "Steel Industry Ultra Low Emission BAT (Best Practicable Technology) List" in various processes, the emission concentrations of various pollutants are far higher than the national ultra-low emission standards.
In terms of source emission reduction, Nantong Zhongtian Iron and Steel adopts the HPF desulfurization process for coke oven gas, and the purified coke oven gas is supplied to downstream users as fuel; Blast furnace gas is subjected to fine desulfurization, while blast furnace hot blast furnaces and steel rolling heating furnaces are subjected to low nitrogen combustion. In terms of end treatment, Nantong Zhongtian Steel has also adopted efficient and stable treatment processes.
"After the ultra-low emission transformation, we need to shift from simply meeting environmental standards to lean management and consumption reduction." Shan Daming revealed that by analyzing the current situation of enterprise production and environmental operation, their cost reduction potential exceeds 30 yuan/ton of steel. He plans to upgrade the ultra-low emission control platform to an environmental carbon cost reduction E-management system in the next 2-3 years, guide enterprises to comprehensively optimize and transform, and strive to achieve an overall cost reduction result of over 90% of the cost reduction potential within three years.
"The accelerated implementation of ultra-low emission steel projects has forced the transformation and innovation of environmentally friendly, green, and low-carbon technologies in the steel industry. While fully leveraging the leading role of the ultra-low emission BAT technology list, attention should be paid to the effective combination of advanced environmental protection technologies and advanced lean environmental management." Huang Dao said.
He believes that in the process of ultra-low emission transformation of steel, the environmental awareness and management level of enterprises have been improved, but to achieve a qualitative leap, continuous accumulation and sedimentation are still needed. The effective implementation and effectiveness of environmental pollution prevention and control technology cannot be achieved without effective integration with facility management, operation and maintenance, production process management, safety operation management, and scientific and technological innovation research and development management.
Suggest addressing weaknesses and focusing on improving environmental management capabilities
Huang suggested that firstly, we should adhere to high standards and steadfastly promote the application of advanced environmental protection technologies. The second is to address the shortcomings and deficiencies, and focus on improving environmental management capabilities. Strengthen the operation of pollution control facilities and stable standard emission management, actively explore and innovate efficient and stable operation management models, and form a long-term control mechanism. The third is to continuously innovate and effectively combine technology and management to help reduce environmental costs. Optimizing the process at the source, reducing the number of pollution sources, and thereby reducing the amount of waste gas and water.
In addition, it is necessary to continue technological innovation, optimize process design, scientifically standardize and institutionalize the operation and maintenance of various dust removal, desulfurization and denitrification facilities, water supply and drainage facilities, and pipeline networks, and continuously explore the space for cost reduction in operation and operation. Strengthen management innovation. Through intelligent and refined operation and maintenance, we continuously improve the level of informatization and intelligence of environmental governance facilities, helping enterprises optimize their cost reduction space.
In response to the current "three highs and three lows" characteristics of high production, high cost, high inventory, low demand, low price, and low efficiency in steel operations, Huang Dao revealed that the China Iron and Steel Industry Association has reported to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and suggested that for excellent enterprises that have passed the association's ultra-low emission public announcement, especially those with A-level environmental performance in various regions, their efforts and contributions in environmental protection investment and operating costs should be fully recognized. Differentiated support should be provided in policies to protect the environmental enthusiasm of these enterprises and avoid setbacks in the low profit life and death competition in the industry.