2018 was the starting year of comprehensive green and low-carbon transformation for China’s steel industry. The state officially issued the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Blue Sky Defense War, raising the environmental governance requirements for the steel industry to the highest historical level. Steel industry was listed as the core rectification industry for air pollution prevention and control. All steel enterprises in key atmospheric pollution prevention areas implemented strict seasonal staggered production and peak-shaving production measures.
The country issued unified national ultra-low emission standards for the steel industry, putting forward extremely strict emission limit indicators for particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the whole process of ironmaking, steelmaking, rolling and auxiliary production. All steel enterprises were required to complete closed transformation of raw material yards, full-enclosed conveying of raw and auxiliary materials, and full upgrading of flue gas desulfurization, denitrification and dust removal systems within a time limit. Enterprises that failed to meet the ultra-low emission standards would face mandatory production suspension, rectification and even permanent shutdown.
In this year, the last open-hearth furnace in China was completely shut down, marking the full termination of the century-old open-hearth steelmaking process in China. The extensive production mode with high pollution and high emission was completely eliminated. Environmental protection cost officially became one of the core rigid production costs of steel enterprises. Small and medium-sized steel mills with insufficient capital strength and backward technical equipment were rapidly cleared out of the market, and market resources further concentrated on large-scale standardized steel groups.
Industry Far-reaching Impact: The steel industry formed a complete ultra-low emission green production system; environmental threshold and industry access threshold were greatly improved; seasonal supply contraction brought periodic steel price fluctuations; and green manufacturing capability became one of the core competitiveness of steel enterprises.