Stories of High-Quality Development | How is 'green steel' forged?

Narrator: Yang Rongli, director of Environmental Protection Department, Shougang Qian'an Iron & Steel Co Ltd

When people think of steel plants, many envision scenes of heavy smoke. Yet walking through a plant of Shougang Qian'an Iron and Steel Co Ltd, one sees clean roads, lush greenery, and blue skies, with multiple environmental monitoring devices like vigilant sentinels, making it feel like a modern ecological park. This is the answer we've penned with our green transformation.

As China's first steelmaker certified for ultra-low emissions, we've achieved ultra-low emissions throughout the whole process. This can be attributed to a combo of measures featuring "strict controls at the source, rigorous process management, and thorough end-point treatment." We tightened controls at the source to prevent harmful elements from entering furnaces, enhanced gas purification and desulfurization, and innovated gas purification technologies in key processes like pelletizing and sintering to ensure organized emissions consistently meet standards.

Uncontrolled emissions are like a rogue force, with dust in the workshops being unpredictable and elusive. To tackle this, we developed an integrated system for monitoring, control and treatment, equipping "sharp eyes" for 3,117 emission points. Smart detection and instant response make sure that every speck of dust has nowhere to escape.

Efforts are also made in transportation to keep the plant green. Railway transport now accounts for a big portion of cargo movement. Material sheds are fully enclosed. Pipeline transportation is adopted to ensure that dedusting ash remains contained throughout the entire process. A tighter logistics "protective net" has been weaved. High-definition monitoring and intelligent environmental protection systems (DCS) enable real-time perception and precise analysis of environmental data, making pollutant reduction and carbon emission cuts measurable and more efficient.

This "green momentum" forged in blast furnaces has made us a premium supplier for multiple renowned automakers. Locals enjoy tangible ecological dividends. "Cars stay dirt-free after washing, linens dry in fresh air, homegrown fruits are safe to eat..." The azure skies and white clouds stand as testament to our green steelmaking—the most compelling hue of high-quality development.