Recently, Hebei Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology publicized the list of "waste free parks" and "waste free enterprises (factories)" in Hebei Province in 2022. Among the 21 "waste free enterprises" on the list, there are 9 enterprises related to the iron and steel industry, accounting for nearly half of the total. It can also be seen that Hebei's iron and steel industry is determined to create "waste free enterprises" and has achieved remarkable results.

According to the requirements for the establishment of a "waste free enterprise (factory)", enterprises to obtain the title must meet the following criteria:

Hebei -- Establishing a demonstration of "waste-free factories" in the iron and steel industry

In fact, as early as April this year, Hebei Province has issued the "Work Plan for the Construction of" Waste Free City "during the" 14th Five-Year Plan "(hereinafter referred to as the" Plan ") to promote the whole-area construction of "waste free city" in Hebei Province, which clearly points out that the iron and steel industry should be the focus of leading the synergic efficiency of pollution reduction and carbon reduction.

We will carry out trials to assess the environmental impact of carbon emissions from construction projects in the steel industry, and achieve a synergistic effect on reducing pollution and carbon at the source.

We will promote the transformation of short-process processes in the steel industry, pilot and demonstration hydrogen-rich gas-fired ironmaking, and continue to reduce the proportion of long-process steelmaking.

We will optimize the raw fuel structure of the iron and steel industry, transform from fossil energy to renewable energy, improve the utilization of solid wastes such as scrap steel, scrap iron, coal dust and soot, and create a fully quantified utilization mode that "solid wastes do not leave the factory" in the iron and steel metallurgy industry.

In line with the action plan for peaking carbon emissions in key industries such as steel, building materials, petrochemical and chemical industries, China will implement demonstration projects to upgrade major energy-saving and low-carbon technologies, accelerate efforts to achieve peaking carbon emissions in the steel industry, and set up a number of "waste-free factories" demonstration projects in the steel industry.

Tangshan took the lead in the pilot monitoring of greenhouse gases in the steel industry, and explored the establishment of carbon monitoring and evaluation technology and method system.

The nine steel enterprises listed on the list of "waste free enterprises (factories)" also witnessed the excellent achievements of the construction of "waste free city" in Hebei Province to some extent. At the same time, among the 9 steel companies on this list, we can also find that 8 steel companies belong to Tangshan.

Tangshan -- Building "No Scrap Steel City"

The construction of "waste-free cities" is an important measure to promote the synergic efficiency of pollution reduction and carbon reduction. In December 2021, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the "Work Plan for the Construction of" waste-free Cities "during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period, which specified that about 100 cities at prefecture level and above should be promoted to develop" waste-free cities "during the period. In April 2022, Tangshan was selected into the "waste free city" construction list issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period.

As an important industrial town in Hebei Province, Tangshan has strong modern industrial strength represented by iron and steel, green chemical industry, green building materials, high-end equipment, etc., but at the same time there are problems of low modernization level of industrial chain. To make up for its shortcomings, Tangshan speeds up the construction of key projects such as steel industry withdrawal relocation, integration and reorganization, and short process transformation, supports the transformation of steel enterprises' process intelligence, brand cultivation and improvement, focuses on the development of high-end products, and further promotes the construction of national demonstration base for clean steel production.

On December 22, the People's Government of Tangshan City issued the Implementation Plan for the Construction of "Waste-free City" in the period of the 14th Five-Year Plan of Tangshan City, which pointed out that it was necessary to focus on the whole-chain waste reduction of the iron and steel industry and build the mode of "waste-free City" in an all-round way, including the following aspects:

We will improve the development structure of the steel industry

We will strictly implement relevant requirements for capacity replacement in the steel industry, and promote the completion of capacity replacement projects on schedule. Vigorously promote the integration and reorganization of iron and steel enterprises, and create four steel areas in coastal, Qian 'an, Luanzhou and Qianxi (Zunhua) to form a new layout of iron and steel industry with "coastal ports and railway lines". Persisting in extending the chain and strengthening the chain as the core, ensuring the upstream, refining the middle stream and expanding the downstream, and vigorously improving the quality and level of the development of steel industry chain clusters. To optimize the product structure of the steel industry, support steel enterprises in targeting downstream industrial upgrading and the development of strategic emerging industries, focus on the development of high-quality special steel, special alloy steel for high-end equipment, steel for core basic parts and components and other high-end products, create a "pyramid" product structure, and promote high-end development of the steel industry.

We will promote coordinated efforts to reduce pollution and carbon in the steel industry

We will carry out pilot projects to assess the environmental impact of carbon emissions on construction projects in the steel industry, encourage construction projects to carry out environmental impact assessment of carbon emissions simultaneously during the preparation of environmental impact assessment documents, and do a good job in monitoring the sources of synergistic efficiency in reducing pollution and carbon. To optimize the energy use structure of the iron and steel industry, guide iron and steel enterprises to explore and promote hydrogen metallurgy, carry out technological breakthroughs in low-cost hydrogen production and hydrogen-rich smelting, actively plan non-blast furnace ironmaking technology demonstration projects such as the hydrogen energy Development and Utilization Demonstration Project of Hesteel Group (Tanggang New Area), actively promote electric furnace steelmaking, and encourage enterprises to participate in the formulation of national standards for short-process steelmaking. Encourage the development of new electric arc furnace equipment through capacity replacement. We will carry out pilot monitoring of greenhouse gases in the steel industry, and explore ways to establish a technical system for carbon monitoring and evaluation.

Promote the establishment of a closed-circuit cycle model of "steel products, waste steel and steel raw materials"

The integrated mode of recycling, processing and utilization is widely promoted in iron and steel production enterprises, and a network of recycling, processing and utilization of waste iron and steel is built with complementary advantages and close connections between recycling enterprises and production enterprises inside and outside the city. We will guide iron and steel smelting enterprises to formulate recycling plans for scrap steel and further increase the proportion of scrap steel used. To promote the new technology of scrap baking preheating system by using blast furnace gas and oxygen blowing process in Songting Iron and Steel. By 2025, the total amount of waste steel recycling and utilization in the city's steel production enterprises will reach 40 million tons, and the proportion of scrap steel will reach more than 30%. It will become the largest domestic waste steel recycling, processing and utilization base and green mild steel iron production base.

Promote the "eating and extracting of valuable solid waste resources"

To promote the high-value utilization of iron-bearing dust and mud, relying on the treatment technology of steel dust and mud and valuable elements recovery in Tangshan Hexing flue gas magnetization melting furnace, and the clean high-value utilization project of Weisheng solid waste iron-bearing dust and mud, etc., to realize the recovery of valuable elements and improve the efficient utilization of smelting waste. We will further improve the comprehensive utilization level of steel slag, water slag and other bulk industrial solid waste in the iron and steel industry, expand utilization channels, and lay out a number of comprehensive utilization projects.

We will build a fully quantified utilization model for the steel industry that keeps solid waste in the market

In combination with the establishment of "waste-free enterprises (factories)" at the provincial level, iron and steel enterprises with good basic conditions and strong development intention are actively encouraged to formulate a work plan of "solid waste cannot be released from the market", establish and improve the whole-process management system of industrial solid waste in enterprises, and improve the utilization rate of industrial solid waste resources and standardized management level. We will encourage iron and steel enterprises to strengthen control and technological innovation over the whole process of production, collection, storage, transportation, utilization and disposal of industrial solid waste, and realize source reduction, resource utilization, product sales, coordinated disposal, standardized storage and intelligent management of solid waste in iron and steel enterprises.

As one of the characteristic construction modes of "No waste City" in Tangshan, the prerequisite for building "no waste Steel City" is that the major steel enterprises take the lead in realizing the construction of "no waste factory". The 8 Tangshan steel enterprises listed on the list of "no waste Enterprises (factories)" is a powerful witness of Tangshan's transformation from a major industrial city to a strong manufacturing city. Also for Tangshan to build "no scrap steel city" a solid step.