A few years back China’s NDRC (National Development Reform Commission) had issued a mandatory target to decrease the percentage share of coal in the country’s total energy consumption in its war against rising pollution. Subsequently, the country pared capacity in coal-fired industries by shutting down outdated facilities, coal-powered plants and capping polluting activity.
Push for green production
Now China seems to be shifting its focus from coal-powered plants which were the top polluters to the steel industry. Recently country’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment and four other ministries has released a joint directive intended to ensure steel mills in the country’s most polluted regions meet “ultra-low” emission standards by 2025 in order to promote green growth.
According to the guideline released, about 60% of steel mills in key regions shall complete the transformation by 2020, and 80% of steel plants in the country to complete it by 2025. Enterprises which fulfill the target will enjoy more taxation and other policy support, the guideline said.
Positive consequences
China which is the world’s largest steel producing nation has its steel production facilities mainly concentrated in the northern Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, causing severe pollution in this region. With the new emission standards, industry experts estimate that the particulate emissions in areas around Beijing and the Yangtze River Delta will be reduced by around 20% and lower the concentration of PM2.5 by as much as 9%.
As per the latest plan, steel plants must comply with ultra-low emission standards, which means that sinter plants will have to reduce emissions of particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide to 10, 35, and 50 milligrams per cubic metre respectively, as opposed to the current standards of 50, 200 and 300 mg/m3. Subsequently. After the completion of set targets by 2025, the emission of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particles might be reduced by 61%, 59%, and 81% respectively.
The challenge ahead
However, although the announcement of these new standards is a good move undertaken by the country to have cleaner air, its enforcement is still a challenge as about 70 steel mills in the country last year exceeded the emissions target. Thus, as per industry sources, these new emission standards are quite stricter and this time chances are high that if small steel mills and coke plants could not reach the new standard, they might face the prospect of being shut down or laying off workers.
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