On September 2, 2022, a joint working group on hydrogen metallurgy standards with the theme of “Hydrogen for the Future” was established and the first World Hydrogen Metallurgy Technology Exchange Conference was held in Chongli, Hebei. At the meeting, HBIS Group demonstrated its exploration and practical achievements in hydrogen energy applications, especially hydrogen metallurgy. In recent years, HBIS, which has taken the lead in the layout of the hydrogen energy industry, has successively built small hydrogen production units with hydrogen production capacities of 1600 standard cubic meters per hour and 1400 standard cubic meters per hour in Hegang Handan Iron and Steel and Hegang Tangshan Iron and Steel. And put into operation a set of LNG (liquefied natural gas) co-production hydrogen production unit with a hydrogen production capacity of 1,000 standard cubic meters per hour in Tangshan City, Hebei Province, with an annual output of 2,857 tons of hydrogen (about 32 million standard cubic meters); The steel coke oven gas output is 700,000 standard cubic meters per hour, and it has the potential to produce about 3.5 billion standard cubic meters of hydrogen per year. Calculated at the price of 2.3 yuan per standard cubic meter of hydrogen in Hebei, HBIS can generate economic benefits of 73.6 million yuan per year through hydrogen production, with a potential of about 8.05 billion yuan for hydrogen production.
From selling steel to “selling green”, China Steel has gradually eaten “ecological rice”. And this is the best interpretation of “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China’s iron and steel industry, guided by Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thought, resolutely embarked on a journey of ultra-low emission transformation, accelerated the pace of industry-city integration and ecological civilization construction. A green development road full of greenery and fruitful.
A mirror rubbing the blue light steel city “Qi” quality improvement
The promotion and application of a number of key technologies, such as clean and efficient combustion of coal and ultra-low emission control of multi-pollutants from steel, has contributed to the improvement of air quality.
——On May 28, 2021, Xi Jinping pointed out at the 20th Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the 15th Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the 10th National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology
“I captured the star trails in Shougang Park!” said 62-year-old photographer Zhang Quanyue excitedly. Before that, he had only photographed star trails in suburbs far from pollution sources.
The star orbit is the orbit generated by the continuous movement of the stars, and its photographing requires high atmospheric visibility. The change of the location of shooting star trails from suburbs to urban areas is the most intuitive manifestation of Beijing’s air quality improvement. Looking at the whole country, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, air quality has also undergone a historic improvement – the national average PM2.5 concentration has dropped from 46 micrograms/cubic meter in 2015 to 30 micrograms/cubic meter in 2021. The ratio of days in good condition increased by 6.3 percentage points from 2015. China has become the country with the fastest air quality improvement in the world.
Behind this, the iron and steel industry has contributed greatly.
The data shows that from 2012 to 2021, the emission of sulfur dioxide and smoke and dust per ton of steel of key iron and steel enterprises according to the statistics of China Iron and Steel Association will decrease by 81.41% and 63.44% respectively. As of August 25, 2022, 172 million tons of steel production capacity has completed the entire process of ultra-low emission transformation and has passed the assessment, monitoring and publicity of the Steel Association. The steel industry has basically completed the main transformation project of nearly 400 million tons of steel production capacity.
The achievement of great achievements lies in action and perseverance.
Over the past 10 years, in the process of gradually tightening the environmental protection standards of “new environmental protection law – emission standard – ‘2+26’ urban limit emission – ultra-low emission”, China’s iron and steel industry has shown the courage to grasp the pollution to the end. Hard fist. In terms of technology, we have challenged the research and development of new flue gas treatment technology around the five key processes of coking, sintering (pelletizing), ironmaking, steelmaking and steel rolling. In terms of management, we flexibly use modern intelligent means to vigorously promote the refined control and governance of unorganized emissions, and firmly control every dead corner of running, dripping, dripping and leaking, and the steel city has a new look; The vigorous promotion of the iron and steel industry has effectively improved the level of clean transportation in the iron and steel industry, and the mode of extensive development of iron and steel logistics has been changed over the years.
Especially since the release of the “Opinions on Promoting the Implementation of Ultra-Low Emissions in the Iron and Steel Industry” in 2019, China’s iron and steel industry has embarked on the journey of ultra-low emission transformation with the most stringent requirements, the highest standards and the largest scale in the history of the world’s iron and steel industry. fruitful.
During this period, a large number of green transition “vanguards” emerged, regardless of cost investment, fearless of huge risks, and determined to promote ultra-low emission transformation. For example, Angang eliminated the original environmental protection facilities during the difficult period of industry operation. Since 2014, Angang has invested 10 billion yuan in environmental protection improvement, becoming the first iron and steel enterprise in China to achieve full-process dry dust removal. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, likes it. Another example is that Shougang, with the courage of “dare to be the first in the world”, has gnawed on a series of “hard bones” for in-depth treatment and transformation of ultra-low emissions. In January 2020, Shougang Qiangang took the lead in realizing the whole process of ultra-low emissions in China. Shougang Jingtang , Shougang Changgang has also completed ultra-low emission transformation. Up to now, the cumulative investment in ultra-low emission transformation of my country’s iron and steel industry has exceeded 150 billion yuan, and more than 60% of crude steel production capacity has been completed or is undergoing ultra-low emission transformation.
During this period, a large number of ultra-low emission equipment technologies with independent intellectual property rights have been bred into shape. A number of ultra-low emission control technologies for iron and steel that have reached the world’s leading level, such as counter-flow activated carbon desulfurization and denitrification technology, blast furnace gas dry dust removal, blast furnace gas “hydrolysis catalysis + alkaline washing neutralization” process, have been popularized and applied, and China Steel is leading the world’s steel industry. Green and low-carbon revolution.
During this period, we paid a lot. The huge investment goes without saying. According to expert statistics, a one-time construction investment of about 2 billion yuan for a 5 million-ton steel enterprise with advanced environmental protection level to complete the ultra-low emission transformation, the environmental protection operation cost will also increase by nearly 100 yuan compared with before the transformation. / ton of steel. The wisdom, courage, foresight and determination displayed by the majority of steel companies in the ultra-low emission battle have condensed into a steel spirit of indomitable and unrelenting, and constantly accumulated Chinese steel to overcome difficulties and cope with global energy and environmental challenges. strength and confidence. It can be said that Chinese steel companies are well-deserved as the fighting heroes of the blue sky defense war.
The results we have achieved are also evident. Since the large-scale implementation of flue gas desulfurization and dust removal transformation in 2015, and the implementation of flue gas denitration treatment, fugitive emission treatment, and clean transportation transformation in 2019, the emission of pollutants in the iron and steel industry has dropped significantly, and the profit per ton of steel has changed from a net loss in 2015. The net profit in 2021 is 411 yuan. Taking Shougang Qiangang as an example, after the realization of ultra-low emissions, although the operating cost of about 30 yuan per ton of steel has been added, the loss of production stoppage and restriction has been reduced (even if the profit of 59 yuan per ton of steel in the first eight months of this year is super high). Estimated at a low level, a 10 million-ton steel company’s daily production stoppage loss has reached more than 800,000 yuan), the annual environmental protection tax of more than 10 million yuan has been reduced, and it has enjoyed a differentiated electricity price policy. It is clear at a glance whether it is a loss or a profit. Objective data shows that if environmental protection is done well, not only will it not cause a cost burden, but it will form a strong support for corporate profitability.
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In the past 10 years, the door of our pollution has become smaller and smaller, the green door has opened wider and wider, the quality of “Qi” has soared, and the sky in China has become more transparent and deeper.
Resources become treasures, and there are magic tricks for steel enterprises to control pollution and create effects
Adhere to saving resources throughout the entire process of economic and social development and in all fields, promote the management of total resources, scientific allocation, comprehensive conservation, and recycling, improve the efficiency of resource utilization such as energy, water, grain, land, minerals, and raw materials, and accelerate resource utilization. The way has fundamentally changed.
——On September 6, 2022, Xi Jinping emphasized when presiding over the 27th meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reform
Gray-white walls, wavy walls… Recently, a batch of 3D-printed nucleic acid sampling rooms were unveiled in Nanfeng Town, Leyu Town, Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province. These nucleic acid sampling rooms are printed with “inks” prepared by grinding steel slag waste. While solving the problem of steel slag disposal in steel companies, green production of the entire product process has been basically realized.
Ten million-ton steel mills do not have a drain on the ground or underground, and every year tens of millions of tons of waste water are discharged without a drop. Since it was put into operation in May this year, the first domestic zero-discharge project for salt-separated crystallization wastewater constructed by MCC CCID has achieved the ecological benefits of zero discharge of wastewater and no waste from leaving the factory in Zhongtian (Nantong) Green Quality Steel Base. It can reduce 12 million tons of wastewater every year. After the “salt crystallization + zero discharge of waste water” treatment, the waste water produced by the large steel plant has been transformed into bags of industrial salt with a purity of more than 99%, with a daily output of 20 tons and a good market.
In 2020, the new crown pneumonia epidemic broke out. In the thrilling defense battle of Wuhan, China Baowu WISCO Gas stepped forward to meet more than half of the medical oxygen demand in Wuhan. Urban steel mills have a new understanding. As of the end of 2020, 20% of the built-up area of Wuhan has been built as a sponge city, and the phased goal set when it became one of the first pilot cities for sponge city construction in the country five years ago has been achieved. Behind this, the support of steel enterprises such as China Baowu Steel and Wuhan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. is of great importance. It vigorously promotes metallurgical slag materials to serve the construction of sponge cities, and actively undertakes the construction of “sponge” projects.
In April 2018, the world’s first high-protein feed production project using blast furnace exhaust was put into operation in Shougang Langze Company, a new energy technology company affiliated to Shougang Jingtang; on May 16 of the same year, Shougang Langze Company’s 45,000 tons/year industrial exhaust The fermentation fuel ethanol project has been successfully commissioned in Jingtang, Shougang, and a new way has been found for efficient and clean utilization of tail gas in the iron and steel industry.
In December 2016, the Zhongke Refining and Chemical Integration Project adjacent to Zhanjiang Iron and Steel started construction and was officially put into operation in June 2020. Steel enterprises and petrochemical enterprises are built adjacent to each other, which can give full play to their respective advantages and form complementary advantages through circular economy. In terms of specific operations, the gas of Zhanjiang Steel is used by Zhongke Refining and Chemical for hydrogen production, while Zhongke Refining and Chemical supplies the same thermal energy to Zhanjiang Steel. The oxygen, argon and nitrogen facilities are built by Zhanjiang Iron and Steel, and the profits are shared by the two companies. This model greatly reduces project investment and enterprise operating costs, effectively reduces the environmental load of the entire society, and has excellent economic and environmental benefits.
At the end of 2015, the first all-steel slag municipal road in China was completed. The new steel slag products of Taiyuan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. were used for roadbed and pavement materials. The cost was more than 20% lower than that of natural stone, and the wear resistance and rutting stability were more than 2 times higher than those of traditional materials.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the majority of steel enterprises have efficiently recycled waste heat and energy in various production processes. While the self-generation rate has gradually increased, they have also created a “factory-city” green heating cycle chain. Up to now, almost all steel mills in the country have undertaken the important task of using waste heat to heat cities.
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Looking back along the development of time, in the past 10 years, China’s steel industry has pursued the ultimate energy efficiency, and the magical stories of “turning waste into gold” and turning waste into treasure are endless. A series of “misplaced” resources have come out of their own “flower road” in the solid actions of the majority of steel enterprises to actively develop circular economy. They are either used for secondary use or used for energy conversion, which not only brings considerable benefits to steel enterprises, but also promotes the transformation and circulation of materials and energy between different enterprises and different industries, thereby optimizing the entire industrial chain and realizing The harmonious development of enterprise and society. This further proves that the steel industry is one of the few industries in the heavy chemical industry that has the ability to drive the green development of the entire industrial chain.
The factory area becomes a scenic spot, “industrial power” and “ecological harmony” are intertwined
Why is it said that green water and green mountains are invaluable assets? “Fish live by water and grass, and birds live on good trees.” If all other conditions are met, who would not want to invest, develop, work, live, and travel in a place with clear waters and lush mountains? In this sense, lucid waters and lush mountains are not only natural wealth, but also social wealth and economic wealth.
——On March 7, 2014, Xi Jinping pointed out when participating in the deliberation of the Guizhou delegation at the second session of the 12th National People’s Congress
The sky is high and the clouds are clear, the green trees are lush, the air is fresh, and the fruit is full of branches. The beauty of the steel city in autumn is refreshing and intoxicating. If you sigh that this beauty is fleeting, then you are “OUT”. In today’s Gangcheng, flowers are blooming in spring, green in summer, fruits can be harvested in autumn, and leaves are evergreen in winter, changing at four seasons, each with its own scenery.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the majority of steel enterprises have made every effort to promote the “factory becomes a park, and the factory area becomes a scenic spot”. Garden-style and forest-style steel cities with three steps and one scene and five steps and one painting continue to emerge, including Delong Steel and Shaanxi Steel. Longgang, Fangda Special Steel and other national 4A-level tourist attractions. After these steel cities were opened to the public as scenic spots, they gradually became “urban green lungs”, providing a good place for leisure and play for the general public and tourists. The harmonious communion of steel and the city is on fire.
In September 2020, at the foot of the Taihang Mountains in Xingtai City, Hebei Province, my country’s first steel-producing enterprise with the qualification of a national 4A-level tourist attraction was born.
This enterprise is Delong Steel, which has insisted on green development since 2014 with the courage of “no upper limit on environmental protection investment”. It is also Ding Liguo, the chairman of the company who proposed: “Environmental protection must not only meet the standards, but also innovate.” “In the face of social criticism, it is better to do things well by complaining and arguing in the steel industry. Influence others and let the facts prove it.” Delong Iron and Steel did it by innovating on the basis of meeting the standards and letting the facts speak. At present, Delong Steel has 33 iconic attractions, 5 world’s best, 2 museums, and has also taken the lead in drafting the first provincial-level local standard for iron and steel industry tourism in China – “Service Specification for Iron and Steel Industry Tourism Areas”. “Steel and city symbiosis and co-prosperity” have achieved the ultimate.
Delong Iron and Steel Scenic Spot is the product of the artistic expression of the spirit of iron and steel under the concept of “co-construction by everyone”. Strolling in the scenic spot, a steel sculpture of different styles is scattered among the vegetation. These creative works made by employees using waste spare parts and steel plates, etc., sparkle with the wisdom of Iron Man turning waste into treasure. There are also steel cultural and leisure experience areas, steel calligraphy walls, and Iron Man Guest Island in the scenic spot, and tourists can visit the real scene of modern steel craftsmanship.
Since its opening to the public, the Delong Iron and Steel Scenic Area has accumulated 270,000 visitors and has become an environmental education base for many primary and secondary schools. There is such a scene in the large-scale industrial documentary “Steel Backbone”: In the picture, the Delong Iron and Steel Scenic Spot welcomed a group of small tourists. Under the guidance of teachers and tour guides, they randomly brushed the flowers and plants in the scenic spot with white gloves, and at the end of the tour , the gloves were still as white as ever. At this time, the voice-over sounded: “There is less pollution, the blue sky is coming, and the relationship between steel and people has also changed.”
The nine-bend Yellow River is full of sand, and the waves and winds travel from the end of the world. The surging Chinese mother river gave birth to the Chinese civilization. In September 2019, the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin was officially elevated to a major national strategy. Located in the Fenwei Plain and close to the Yellow River, Shaanxi Iron and Steel Longgang has an arduous task of environmental protection.
When receiving the interview call from the reporter of “China Metallurgical News”, the person in charge of energy conservation and environmental protection work of Shaanxi Iron and Steel was conducting environmental protection supervision and inspection at the production site. “It doesn’t have to be me, it must be me, everyone must contribute to ecological protection! With the efforts of the whole company, by the end of 2020, Shaanxi Iron and Steel Longgang Longmen Iron and Steel Scenic Spot has become the second 4A company in the national steel industry. It has received about 100,000 tourists so far.” The person in charge was full of pride and added, “Longgang has also become the first enterprise in Northwest China to complete ultra-low emission transformation. Since the company After completing the ultra-low emission transformation, the chimney does not even emit white steam, and sometimes visitors will wonder, why is there no smoke from the chimney? In fact, we have been producing normally!” He gave a hearty laugh when he said this. .
The fragrant grass is like a blanket, the flowers are like brocade, the dragon steel is green and the loess has changed. This eye-catching greenness and vitality is exactly what Longgang people did step by step and really did it, showing the steadfastness and sincerity unique to Guanzhong men. Correspondingly, the glorious book of Longsteel’s ecological civilization construction is also getting thicker and thicker – a national green factory, a benchmark enterprise for green development in 2021, a national 4A-level industrial tourist attraction, an A-level enterprise in environmental performance… In the past 10 years, Longgang has Steel leaves a shining footprint towards green.
In June 2022, Fangda Special Steel Industrial Tourist Scenic Spot was officially approved as a national 4A-level tourist scenic spot. So far, three steel companies in my country have turned their production lines into “4A-level landscape lines”.
The well-built forest landscape belt, the water treatment center with the characteristics of Jiangnan gardens, the egrets and wild ducks pacing leisurely in the coking wetland landscape… Here, the refreshing scenery and the distinctive iron and steel industry characteristics are perfectly integrated, and there is an endless stream of tourists. , the daily reception volume is more than 3,000 people.
It is also one of the preferred places for Fangda Special Steel employees to take wedding photos. Factory buildings, blast furnaces, green trees, and safflowers are easy to see and move. In the picturesque steel factory area, the beautiful memories and struggle stories of the past, the happy smiles and the testimony of love today, have painted a happy background for the green home of the employees.
In the past 10 years, in addition to three 4A-level tourism factories, a large number of 3A-level tourism factories have emerged in the steel industry, including Angang, Shaanxi Iron and Steel, and Ping’an Iron and Steel. It is believed that as more and more steel companies build their factories into scenic spots, the new image of steel companies that “steel is green and steel is warm” will become more and more popular.
“Hydrogen” installs a new journey “zero carbon” steel is not a dream
To achieve the “dual carbon” goal, we are not asked to do it by others, but we must do it ourselves.
——On January 24, 2022, Xi Jinping pointed out during the thirty-sixth collective study of the Political Bureau of the Nineteenth Central Committee
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, my country’s iron and steel industry has continued to explore the new generation of recyclable steel manufacturing processes, environmental management and green manufacturing, and is getting closer to the overall goal of “ultra-low emissions and ultra-clean emissions”. Today’s China Iron and Steel, under the background of the national “dual carbon” strategy, is duty-bound to be a pioneer in realizing the “dual carbon” goal, and has taken the lead in breaking the situation in carbon emission management, energy structure adjustment, and hydrogen metallurgy application.
The overall planning of the industry is the guiding light. In February 2021, the Steel Association issued the “Steel Responsibility, Start a New Low-Carbon Journey – Proposal for Low-Carbon Action in the Steel Industry” to the entire industry. In April of the same year, the Iron and Steel Association Iron and Steel Industry Low-Carbon Work Promotion Committee was formally established. In August 2022, the “Carbon Neutral Vision and Low-Carbon Technology Roadmap for the Iron and Steel Industry” was released, which clarified the “dual-carbon” technology path of China’s iron and steel industry, and the 4 stages and key tasks for implementing the “dual-carbon” project.
Demonstration actions of enterprises are the source of vitality. Whether it is the start of the world’s first green hydrogen and zero-carbon fluidized bed high-efficiency ironmaking new technology demonstration project – Ansteel’s hydrogen metallurgy project, or HBIS taking the lead in launching the world’s first 1.2 million-ton hydrogen metallurgy demonstration project in Zhangxuan Technology, or The hydrogen-rich carbon cycle blast furnace and hydrogen-based shaft furnace developed by China Baowu have left an eye-catching Chinese imprint on the global map of hydrogen metallurgy technology. At present, the majority of steel companies have integrated the strategic orientation and target requirements of “dual carbon” into their medium and long-term development plans. China Baowu, Hegang, Baotou Steel and other steel companies have issued “dual carbon” action plan goals. China Iron and Steel, which is racing ahead on the new track of “replacing carbon with hydrogen”, has continuously strengthened breakthroughs in low-carbon common technology research, and has initially formed hydrogen-based shaft furnace direct reduction ironmaking technology and hydrogen-based fluidized bed direct reduction ironmaking technology. technology, blast furnace hydrogen-rich smelting technology and hydrogen-rich smelting reduction ironmaking technology.
Industrial synergy is a win-win magic weapon. Delong Steel, Great Wall Holdings, and Liben Energy have joined forces to build a world-leading hydrogen energy industry ecosystem. The first domestic “tempering co-production-hydrogen metallurgy” test base was established in Rongcheng Group. The transformation of the energy structure of the industrial chain has yielded fruitful results. On this basis, a low-carbon industry ecosystem with a certain scale has been established. For example, the Global Low-Carbon Metallurgical Innovation Alliance, led by China Baowu in November 2021, is jointly established by 62 companies, universities and scientific research institutions from 15 countries around the world, aiming to promote basic, forward-looking low-carbon Metallurgical technology development and cooperation and exchanges to form a low-carbon steel value innovation chain. Another example, my country’s first industrial product EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) platform released by the Iron and Steel Association in May 2022, the steel industry EPD platform, provides a platform for Chinese steel enterprises to issue product environmental declarations with international unified standards and specifications. , which will help to eliminate misunderstandings about Chinese steel by international counterparts and upstream and downstream industry enterprises, and promote green international trade in steel and related products.
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At present, the joint force of the low-carbon transformation and development of the iron and steel industry is condensing from multiple levels, multiple angles, and multiple fields. It is foreseeable that the industrialization of “low-carbon” or even “zero-carbon” processes in iron and steel manufacturing is no longer far away.
From “waiting for the wind” to “normal blue”, from minimalist industrial style to full of spring gardens, in the past 10 years, China Steel’s green and low-carbon development road has gone through hardships, but has achieved remarkable results. However, there are differences in the level of energy conservation and environmental protection among steel enterprises, the contradiction between the total amount of iron and steel in the region and the environmental capacity and carrying capacity, the absolute dependence of iron and steel production on fossil energy, and the demand of steel enterprises for breakthrough low-carbon generic technologies and “dual-carbon” talents All of them are urgent, and all of them urge China Iron and Steel to be based on the present and take a long-term perspective in the unprecedented new challenges, and promote the development of ecological environment governance and green and low-carbon transformation to a deeper and wider development.
Once chasing the world, now leading the world; once struggling, now green innovation. The background for the green development of China’s iron and steel has been laid, and the realization of the “dual carbon” goal and the realization of the dream of “green and low-carbon steel” is just around the corner!