The steel industry is steadily moving towards the medium-high end

What remains unchanged is China's solid position as the world's No. 1 steel power. Since steel production exceeded 100 million tons in 1996, ranking first in the world, China has been ranked first in global steel production and consumption for 26 consecutive years. Last year, China's steel production reached 1.035 billion tons, accounting for 53 percent of global output.

What has changed is the continuous optimization and improvement of industrial structure, technical level, production efficiency and enterprise efficiency. In particular, after experiencing the "scratch and cure" of capacity reduction, the steel industry bid farewell to the old road of extensive development and gradually embarked on a new road of innovation-driven, intelligent manufacturing, and green and low-carbon. Take products as an example, from large steel structure support columns, high-speed EMU axle, to the thickness of only 0.015 mm "hand-torn steel", processing accuracy is thinner than the hair "pen steel", more varieties, stronger performance, wider market.

In the past 10 years, what gratifying changes have taken place in China's steel industry, and what opportunities and challenges will it face in the future? The reporter conducted an interview.

Strength to a new level

The quality and efficiency of the industry are improved, the product level is higher, and the autonomous and controllable ability is stronger

Into China Baowu Taisteel Stainless Steel Precision Strip Co., LTD., a roll of steel strip after rolling, tension straightening, slitting, bright and other processes, into different specifications of high-strength "steel foil". The company's fist product "hand-torn steel" from here, into the aerospace, high-end electronics, new energy and other fields.

"In 2021, the production and sales volume of 'hand-torn steel' increased by 2 times compared with 2020, the operating income increased by more than 30%, and the profit increased by nearly 2 times." Company manager Wang Tianxiang reported the good news.

To make "Bai-steelmaking" into "soft around the fingers" is difficult and of great significance. In the past, domestic enterprises could not produce, and one ton of imports would cost one million yuan. After TISCO developed it, the price was immediately reduced by half, the supply cycle was shortened from half a year to one month, and the needs of domestic customers were better met. Nanhai, director of TISCO Technology Center, told reporters that at present, 18 special steel products of TISCO are the first in China, more than 40 kinds of products have successfully replaced imports, and the efficiency of high-end products accounts for more than 85%.

Overcome difficulties, braced for innovation, since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the steel industry has achieved major breakthroughs in a number of key core technologies and product research and development, to better meet the needs of thousands of lines of business and thousands of households

The manufacture of liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks requires steel bars that can withstand temperatures as low as -165 degrees Celsius. In order to fill the domestic gap, China Baowuma Steel Group independently developed 500 mpa low-temperature steel bars, so that China's LNG storage tanks with domestic steel.

High-speed rail runs fast and stable, can not be separated from the excellent quality of high-speed wheels. At present, the "Fuxing" EMU D2 high-speed wheels produced by Masteel have passed the loading assessment of 600,000 kilometers, and the longest safe use mileage exceeds 2.74 million kilometers.

How to make the surface bright and leave no fingerprints? Hegang Tanggang installed black fingerprint resistant film in the galvanizing process of the electric plate at home, so that the "sophisticated" needs can be met.

How can a ballpoint pen write smoothly? In the past five years, TISCO has explored the appropriate proportion of trace elements, successfully mastered the homogenization of precious metal alloys and other technologies, and developed a "pen tip steel" with a diameter of 2.3 mm.

"At present, China has established the world's most complete industrial chain, the largest steel industry system, equipped with the world's most advanced equipment, technology and technology, can provide the most comprehensive steel products." He Wenbo, secretary of the Party Committee of the China Iron and Steel Association, said that since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the modernization level of the steel industry has been continuously improved.

Industrial improvement of quality and efficiency. At present, the investment efficiency, infrastructure efficiency, operational efficiency and labor efficiency of China's steel industry are among the top in the world. Domestic steel prices are lower than the international market, so that downstream industries can enjoy inexpensive industrial raw materials.

The product level is higher. In the past 10 years, a number of steel products such as automotive steel, large-scale transformer electrical steel, high-performance long-distance pipeline steel, high-speed rail, and construction bridge steel have successively entered the international first echelon, and the third generation of high-strength automotive steel, high-steel grade pipeline steel and other products have realized the transformation from "following" to "leading".