Posted on 15 Jul 2021
Despite the multiple challenges in China’s steel industry, the country will deliver its commitment to reach carbon emission peak by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2060 via adopting a new economic development model and a systematic execution plan in decarbonization, Li Xinchuang, Chief Engineer of China Metallurgical Industry Planning and Research Institute, shared on July 13 at SGX’s Singapore International Ferrous Week, a three-day event.
China will work out a new economic development plan during the 14th Five-Year Plan period over 2021-2025, and the steel industry will form a more advanced and quality supply-demand balance via structural reforms so as to meet the carbon emission goals, he said.
Besides, “China’s steel industry will embrace new technology for upgrading,” he said, adding that the industry will develop a new model that will enhance optimization of human resources, cooperation, effective competition, universal development and the ability to deal with market crisis efficiently, all adhering to the principle of decarbonization.
China’s steel industry has been asked to its carbon emission peak by 2025, or five years ahead of the national timeline, and among the first moves for the industry, optimizing the locations of the steel capacities should be included, he pointed out.
“A green or right layout of the steel capacities is of great significance to the Chinese steel industry, as with so many steel mills in China, a wrong location for a steel mill will seriously compromise its efforts in achieving low-carbon emission,” he said.
Chinese steel mills should upload eco-friendliness throughout their whole steelmaking process including developing green logistics to reduce carbon emission in raw materials and steel transportation, according to him, adding that energy saving and energy consumption efficiency via recycling heat and energy sources generated during steelmaking, using more steel scrap and renewable energy are all the possible means.
In the long term, the steel industry should strive to make breakthroughs in low carbon technologies such as hydrogen smelting, smelting without blast furnaces, and carbon capture, utilization and storage, he shared.
On top of all the initiative by the steelmakers, related government policies to aid the steel mills with their efforts and tide them over difficult times will be important too, as along the process, they will be challenged with tight deadlines, availability of related technology and human resources, and uneven development among different enterprises, Li emphasized.
Source:Mysteel Global
