Posted on 11 Aug 2022
North China's Hebei province, the country's top steel-producing base, will continue strengthening its efforts to reduce overcapacity and to prohibit unauthorized new production capacity, by closing blast furnaces (BFs) below 1,000 cu m and converters below 100 tonnes by the end of this year, only except for those pig iron and special steel enterprises, according to the Hebei Provincial Development and Reform Commission.
Hebei now hosts 13 operating BFs under 1,000 cu m with a total ironmaking capacity of 26,000 tonnes/day, accounting for 4.6% of the province's daily hot metal output, Mysteel Global noted.
In 2021, Hebei had phased out a total of 38 BFs and 27 converters to reduce energy consumption and air pollution throughout the year, as reported.
To consolidate the achievements of overcapacity reduction and environmental protection, the Hebei Development and Reform Commission has also set six "modernization tools" for the sustainable development of the steel industry amid an ongoing industrial transformation.
The tools covered the upgrading of iron/steelmaking equipment and products, the consolidation in the steel sector, the relocation of steel production areas, the development of green steelmaking technologies, and the transformation of industrial digitalisation.
Apart from shutting down the abovementioned BFs and converters by this year, steelmakers in Hebei will focus on producing high-end, good-quality and high value-added products.
Meanwhile, leading steel producers in Hebei are encouraged to implement strategic mergers, with the goal for top 10 steelmakers to contribute more than 70% to the province's total steel production capacity.
In tandem, areas in the province with adequate market demand and resources are encouraged to undertake the relocation of steel production capacity.
The commission also noted that steel enterprises should implement energy saving and carbon reduction actions by mapping path to carbon peak, and using new technologies to realize green, low-carbon production process.
Source:Mysteel Global
