Efforts to Renovate Steel Industry Stepped-up Across the Country

Positive Gains in Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection

One of the core elements in China's 2009 Special Campaign for Environmental Protection is a dedicated appraisal of the steel industry. In the campaign, local governments inspected the implementation of administrative provisions regarding environmental management for construction projects and the implementation of state industrial policies in steel enterprises. On these grounds, efforts have been stepped-up to close steel enterprises whose pollutants exceed standards, whose emissions exceed permitted limits and whose production is outdated, thereby putting the Adjustment and Stimulus of the Steel Industry into practice.

Hebei is a major steel manufacturing province in China. In recent years, the province has carried out a major campaign to rectify the steel industry in the province. Recently, the Hebei Environment Protection Bureau established three supervision and inspection teams in conjunction with the Tangshan Municipal Government and relevant authorities. The three teams conducted inspection of 76 blast furnaces below 300 m3 in scale that had been closed down previously. The inspection did not reveal any cases of closed-down furnaces going back into production illegally. In the first half of 2009, the Han Steel Company, a company operating under Hebei Steel Group, demolished 4 300 m3 furnaces in a move that eliminated 1.7 million tons of backward and outdated productivity. The reduction of these outdated facilities will cut sulfur dioxide emissions by 538 tons and smog and dust emissions by 4,287 tons every year.

Taiyuan City in Shanxi Province enforced listed supervision and management over the demolition of sintering machines at the Liaoyuan Iron and Steel Company, which were to be put out of production within a deadline; Xinzhou City closed down pellet production enterprises that had not undergone environmental assessment; By enhancing environmental supervision, Linfen City had 17 sets of sintering units fitted with desulphurization equipment; In accordance with the law, Lvliang City ordered the closure of outdated blast furnaces and sintering machines at the Wenxin Iron and Steel Company, Longxin Iron and Steel Company, Hengxin Iron and Steel Company, Beitai Iron & Steel Company and the Didu Iron & Steel Company. These outdated facilities were a major source of pollution.

Liyang City in Jiangsu Province ordered the closure of two companies employing outdated production processes and equipment by the end of the year, namely Ruifeng Melting Company and Liyang Sanwei Casting Company. Gaoyou City effected listed supervision on the “small blast furnace” iron-smelting programs of the Xingxin Mold Factory, Gaoyou City Light Industry Machinery Plant, Gaoyou Kaixin Metal Machinery Company. The Xuzhou Municipal Government ordered Borui Special Steel Company, Xuzhou Bofeng Iron & Steel Company and Xuzhou Chengri Iron & Steel Company to halt production and undergo environmental appraisal.

Ma’anshan City in Anhui Province ordered the closure of five 300-m3 blast furnaces, a 90m2 sintering machine and an 8m2 shaft furnace owned by the Ma Steel Group. It also investigated illegal discharge of pollutants by an iron-making plant and took punitive action.

Through a special rectification campaign, Hubei shut down 16 small-scale iron and steel-making enterprises (production lines), removing outdated production capacity of 418,000 tons.

Districts and counties in Chongqing requested that the government order the closure of six steel enterprises operating with out-dated production facilities. Two enterprises that had failed to undergo environmental assessment and integrate environmental facilities into construction projects. (Source: www.ifeng.com)

 

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