China: Sichuan province creates futuristic steel plant integration model

In a sign of growing concentration in China’s steel industry, the Sichuan Local Metallurgical Holding Group has integrated eight short-process (non-BF-BoF) steel plants in the province, as per latest reports. Previously, the short-process steel mills in Sichuan operated independently with small production capacities. After reorganisation, the combined crude steel production of these units can go up to 20 mn t/year. Sichuan is the largest hydroelectric power generation base in China, which is the most suitable for short-process steel plants with electricity as the main production cost.