In mid-March this year, the North China Environmental Protection Supervision Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection conducted a comprehensive inspection of iron and steel enterprises in Hebei Province. This inspection highlighted the positive role environmental protection plays in driving the transformation and upgrading of traditional manufacturing industries. It also served as a warning to the steel sector that a complete transformation is necessary—not just focusing on short-term profits but considering long-term environmental costs.
From May 9th to 12th, the reporter spoke with environmental experts, manufacturers, and steel factory owners to explore the key challenges revealed during the inspection. The findings showed that nearly 300 steel companies were involved, many of which had outdated sintering machines, inefficient desulfurization systems, low emission standards, and poor management practices.
Among the issues identified, 49 sintering machines under 90 square meters were found to be non-compliant with national industrial policies, while 44 blast furnaces below 400 cubic meters were also flagged. Over 60% of the operating enterprises faced environmental problems, with 70% related to faulty dust removal systems. Most companies experienced serious unorganized emissions, and more than 80% of their production wastewater was used for slag and quenching after minimal treatment, leading to pollutants being released as gases instead of remaining in liquid form.
Xu Manxing, a professor at the University of Science and Technology of Beijing, emphasized the importance of reducing sulfur dioxide emissions from the sintering process, which accounts for 70% to 90% of total emissions in the steel industry. Hebei, being the top steel-producing province, faces significant environmental pressure, making it crucial to address these emissions effectively.
According to an official from the Hebei Iron and Steel Industry Association, only 53 out of 165 sintering machines in major steel enterprises have installed or are installing desulfurization devices. The average sintering area is below the national standard, and the industry must eliminate smaller sintering machines by the end of the year and achieve full desulfurization by 2015, aiming to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions per ton of steel to less than 1.0 kg.
However, many steel factory owners reported that their desulfurization systems were not functioning properly due to technical limitations, high costs, and poor management. The actual desulfurization efficiency was only about 50%, far below the designed 90%.
Industry insiders pointed out several reasons behind these challenges: lack of technical approval systems, high investment and operational costs, weak industry regulation, low automation levels, and insufficient training for operators. These factors contributed to poor performance of environmental protection facilities and limited compliance.
Given the growing pressure from stricter environmental regulations, choosing the right desulfurization technology has become a critical and urgent task for steel enterprises. In response to the current low success rate of sintering facilities, a company representative proposed five key suggestions:
First, innovate the construction model by encouraging project general contracting and operation models to improve efficiency and professional management. Second, strengthen industry regulation by setting higher access thresholds and penalizing non-compliance. Third, implement a strict audit system to ensure quality and prevent substandard projects. Fourth, promote the use of by-products to solve pollution issues more effectively. Finally, enhance policy support by increasing government funding and prioritizing energy-saving and environmental projects.
These steps are essential for the steel industry to meet environmental goals and ensure sustainable development.
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