China’s steelmaking hub Tangshan city has rolled out stricter pollution control curbs under its winter air quality improvement program. These measures call for stoppage or reduction of sintering operations at several steel plants in the city.
The authorities have also called for shutdown of industrial furnaces and kilns fueled by non-electricity or non-natural gas sources. Independent pellet production plants are also asked to cease production. The city is also cracking down on overloaded and over-limit vehicles on major roads surrounding urban areas. There are also restrictions on passage of heavy goods vehicles in during morning and evening hours, especially steel and coking transporting vehicles.
Tangshan City Autumn and Winter Air Quality Enhancement Program is formulated for the period of Oct 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. The city has categorized steelmakers as Grade A, B and C, according to their environmental status. The steelmakers with Grade B and C are ordered to cut blast furnace, sintering and pelletizing operations by 10-45pc.
Steelmakers that cut down sintering operations include:
* Guoyi Special Steel in Guye district; shuts one 120㎡ sintering machine;
* Chunxing Special Steel, Guye district, shuts one 105㎡ sintering machine;
* Tanggang Stainless Steel, Guye district, shuts one 265㎡ sintering machine (oxidation method denitrification)
- * Tianzhu Iron and Steel, Fengrun district, stopped one 108㎡ sintering machine
- * Xinbaotai Iron and Steel, Fengrun district, one 210㎡ sintering machine production down by 30pc.
* Jing’an Iron and Steel, Fengrun district, stopped one sintering machine of 120 sqm
* Ruifeng Iron & Steel, Fengrun district, stopped one sintering machine of 96 sqm and one sintering machine of 200 sqm;
* Donghua (Kaiheng) Steel, Fengrun district, stopped one sintering machine of 220 sqm and one 198㎡ sintering machine and one 352㎡ sintering machine, production cut by 30pc;
* Zongheng Iron and Steel, Fengrun district; three 426.6㎡ sintering machine production down by 30pc
- * Donghai Iron and Steel, Luanzhou city, shut one sintering machine of 98㎡, one sintering machine of 112㎡;
- * Donghai Special Steel, Luanzhou city, shut production of one sintering machine of 180㎡ (oxidation method denitrification)
- * Jinma Iron and Steel, Luanzhou city, discontinued two sintering machines of 200㎡ of one 180㎡ of sintering machine
- * Jiujiang Wire Rod, Qian’an city; shut two sintering machines of 152㎡
- * Rongxin Iron and Steel, Qian’an city; shut two 100㎡ sintering machine and two 200㎡ sintering machine, production down by 30pc
- * Songting Iron and Steel, Qian’an city; shuts one 198㎡ sintering machine, and one 300㎡ sintering machine, production down by 30pc;
- * Yanshan Iron and Steel, Qian’an city; one 90㎡ winding machine (oxidation method denitrification), one 132㎡ sintering machine and ne sintering machine of 300 sqm
- * Wenfeng Mountain and Chuan Wheel Hub, Caofeidian district, shuts one 180㎡ sintering machine
* Huaxi Iron and Steel, Lainan county, discontinues one 92.4㎡ sintering machine and cuts production of 92.4㎡ sintering machine by 30pc
* Jinxi, Near West County, discontinues 265㎡ sintering machine;
* Jin SEAT Steel, Near West County, shuts stage 1 of 210㎡ sintering machine and 210 m sintering machine 265㎡
* Delong Iron and Steel, Laoting county, cuts production of one 230㎡ sintering machine and one 210㎡ sintering machine by 30pc and discontinues one 240㎡ sintering machine for medium and heavy plates.
* Ganglu Iron and Steel, Zunhua city, shuts one sintering machine of 100 sqm.
The ceasing of many sintering processes has impacted pellet production in China, which has boosted the price of iron ore lumps. Despite winter season, steel production in China is showing sustained growth. According to Australian miner Fortescue, the company expects strong demand for iron ore from China.
In the late-November, China’s average daily steel output rose by 7pc from the prior year. Steel output in October increased to 92.2mn mt in October, up by 12.7pc from the prior year, according to World Steel. The country is well on track to cross the 1bn mt steel production mark in 2020, exceeding its 2019 output of 996.3mn mt, despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.