"Extreme energy efficiency engineering has formed a broad consensus in the steel industry, and good experience, good measures and good technology are promoted in the whole industry, bringing very considerable energy saving and carbon reduction." It can be said that this work not only improves the efficiency of enterprises, but also promotes the industry's energy saving and carbon reduction work, reflecting the characteristics of high-tech, high efficiency and high quality of the steel industry." On March 21, Feng Chao, deputy secretary-general of the China Iron and Steel Association, said in a speech at the "Energy Saving Service into Enterprises" and the seminar on energy efficiency improvement of the steel industry in 2024.

The picture shows Feng Chao

In order to implement the requirements of the "14th Five-Year Plan" Comprehensive Work Plan for energy conservation and Emission Reduction "Action Plan for Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement" and other documents, the Steel Association officially opened the ultimate energy efficiency project on December 9, 2022. Since then, the "Iron and Steel Industry steady growth work Plan" jointly issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other seven departments clearly proposed to support the "extreme energy efficiency" transformation project; The Central Economic Work Conference in 2023 emphasized that the reduction target of energy consumption per unit of GDP in 2024 was set at about 2.5%, and was confirmed in this year's government work report. This fully shows that the steel industry has done early planning and early action in implementing the spirit of the central government, the requirements of ministries and commissions, and complying with the green, low-carbon and high-quality development of the industry.

"The 2.5 percent reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP is based on comprehensive consideration of energy use for economic and social development and the need for green and low-carbon transformation." Feng Chao said.

Specific to the steel industry, data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that the comprehensive energy consumption per ton of steel in the steel industry in 2022 increased by 1.7% compared with 2021, and the comprehensive energy consumption data of key enterprises by tons of steel compiled by the Steel Association also increased year-on-year. "Although the steel industry's comprehensive energy consumption data per ton of steel is affected by multiple factors, under the current situation and background, relevant leaders will pay more attention to the steel industry's energy efficiency improvement actions, and the steel industry's energy conservation and carbon reduction task is arduous." Feng Chao thinks.

For more than a year, the Steel Association has organized the industry to make great efforts to research and promote the "three lists, two standards and one system", relying on the group standard "energy efficiency benchmarking Guide for key processes of steel enterprises", and developed the energy efficiency benchmarking data filling system for key processes of steel, restoring the real data of energy consumption in steel processes. From the current declaration and cultivation of a total of 440 million tons of production capacity, 58 cultivation enterprises to fill in 4 batches of data analysis, the scientific and rational standards have been further verified. At present, it is also promoting the formulation of the group standard of "energy efficiency benchmarking evaluation specification for key processes of iron and steel enterprises", and further standardizing and improving the whole process of energy efficiency benchmarking declaration - cultivation - acceptance.

It is worth mentioning that, relying on the ultimate energy efficiency series of activities, a large number of steel Association member enterprises have achieved further improvement of energy efficiency levels, and promoted the application of advanced energy-saving technologies. Many steel enterprises are the chairman and general manager of the board of directors, and they are implemented in accordance with the technical list and promoted solidly. "When the Steel Association conducted a steel enterprise tour at the end of last year, many president units mentioned that the ultimate energy efficiency project has brought real results to the enterprise." Feng Chao added.

Feng Chao introduced that some enterprises that have been included in the energy efficiency benchmark demonstration have achieved very significant results.

Xingcheng Special Steel adopts dual means of technology and management to reduce energy consumption and pollutant emissions, and vigorously promote the construction of modern green special steel enterprises; With the Internet of Things, industrial interconnection, condition monitoring and diagnosis technology, the whole process of energy in key regions is sorted out, energy flow charts are drawn, and technical and economic indicators and energy saving and consumption reduction levels are continuously improved.

The leadership of Baosteel Co., Ltd. took the lead, held monthly regular meetings, promoted energy-saving projects in the way of "multi-planning, quick implementation and stable operation", held quarterly regular meetings to summarize and evaluate the promotion of rod action, and the comprehensive energy consumption per ton of steel was reduced by more than 10 kilograms of standard coal, and the various processes were stable and up to standard. Zhanjiang Iron and Steel has established three monitoring teams covering various professional technologies, and has entered the site of each plant to cooperate with the company to improve the refinement level of the energy management and energy use process of the user end of the company. In 2023, more than 30 activities have been carried out, and the energy consumption of 13 main processes is comprehensively better than the level of 2022, and the process cost has been reduced by 424 million yuan.

Ansteel Bayuquan Branch has a total of 27 energy-saving and carbon reduction projects in the whole process according to the payback period of 1-3 years, and focuses on promoting 14 energy-saving projects in coke oven, blast furnace, converter and energy system. Compared with the energy consumption plan of coke oven, blast furnace and converter process in 2023, the energy consumption plan will reduce by 7.6kgce/t, 5.68kgce/t and 3.68kgce/t respectively.

Shougang is guided by the T50 technology list issued by the Steel Association to promote the application of mature and advanced energy-saving technologies. Shougang Qiansteel and Shougang Jingtang T50 technology list respectively applied 35 and 36 technologies (including in promotion), with the application ratio exceeding 70%, and the coke oven process, blast furnace process and converter process all reached the benchmark value before 2023.

Hesteel Group attaches great importance to energy efficiency improvement as an important part of the "6+2" low-carbon development technology roadmap. By the end of 2023, the comprehensive energy consumption per ton of steel has been reduced to 555 kilograms of standard coal, and some subsidiaries have even reached the excellent level of 550 kilograms of standard coal. The coking process of Hangang is lower than the benchmark value; The energy consumption of blast furnace in Tangshan Steel, Handan Steel and Wugang is close to the advanced value, and the energy consumption of converter process is all up to the standard; The operation of Shigang electric furnace meets the standard.

In addition, in March this year, The State Council issued the Action Plan to promote large-scale equipment renewal and replace old consumer goods with new ones, proposing the goal of "by 2027, the energy efficiency of major energy-using equipment in key industries will basically reach the level of energy conservation", and proposed that around the promotion of new industrialization, With energy conservation and carbon reduction, ultra-low emissions, safe production, digital transformation, and intelligent upgrading as the important direction, we will focus on key industries such as steel, and vigorously promote the upgrading and technological upgrading of production equipment, energy-using equipment, and transmission, transmission and distribution equipment. We will accelerate the promotion of energy-using equipment with advanced levels of energy efficiency and energy conservation, and carry out energy-saving and carbon reduction upgrading in different industries and sectors.

"This large-scale equipment renewal and consumer goods to replace the old, to improve technology, reduce energy consumption and emissions as the guidance, will promote the industry to green, low-carbon, sustainable direction of development, and will promote the whole life cycle of green low-carbon steel consumption." Feng Chao interpretation said.