Low-carbon transition journey of Tianjin steelmaker

TIANJIN -- The industrial compound of Tiangang, a Chinese steel manufacturer, is the size of nearly 600 football pitches. Notably, trucks navigating the compound are powered with hydrogen fuel, buildings at the facility are kept warm with residual heat from slag flushing, and every single lamp at this venue is energy efficient.

These are but a few examples of how this steelmaker is curbing its carbon emissions.

The iron and steel sector is the largest carbon emitter in China's manufacturing industry, with average annual carbon emissions of 1.8 billion metric tons and accounting for about 15 percent of the country's total carbon emissions. This is one of the sectors where achieving carbon neutrality is especially challenging.

Despite many hurdles, Tianjin Iron & Steel Group Co Ltd, also known as Tiangang, located in North China's Tianjin municipality, has boldly embarked on a green development path and managed to significantly limit its carbon emissions.

During the steel-making process, a considerable amount of blast furnace gas is generated. This gas is now being harnessed to generate electricity used to power the plant, thanks to the recent installation of a 100-megawatt power generation facility.

The two-story-high facility operates 24 hours a day to absorb residual gas and convert it into electricity.

"In the past, the residual gas had no use and was wasted. With the new facility, we can meet approximately one-third of the plant's total power demand via electricity converted from this gas," said Yang Wei, a carbon trader at Tiangang.

Yang calculated that this installation alone could save energy equivalent to 226,900 tons of standard coal per year -- resulting in a carbon emission reduction of 657,900 tons annually.

Meanwhile, photovoltaic panels have been mounted on rooftops to generate additional energy at the Tiangang compound. The total installed capacity, once all planned photovoltaic panels are installed, is projected to exceed 50 megawatts, enough to generate 52 million kWh of green electricity annually. This will significantly increase the proportion of green electricity in Tiangang's energy consumption mix.

Energy efficiency at this venue has also been boosted through machinery upgrading. In recent years, lots of high-energy-consuming facilities that had been in operation for 20-plus years have been replaced with low-carbon and environment-friendly devices, revealed He Qiang, an executive in charge of energy at Tiangang.

Tiangang's emission reduction efforts align with China's commitment to low-carbon transition. The country aims to peak its carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

To move closer to achieving these objectives, authorities in China are planning to include the steel industry in the national carbon market. Once integrated into the national carbon market, steel companies will have to accurately report their emissions and buy extra quotas if their emissions exceed their allocated share.

Tiangang, while not yet part of the national market, has been a player in Tianjin's local carbon trading market for several years, and in 2023 for the first time achieved a surplus in terms of its carbon emission allowances.

It is also worth noting that steel plants in China are no longer merely sources of pollution. The entire compound of Tiangang's parent company, New Tianjin Steel Group, has been transformed into a tourist scenic area, attracting streams of schoolkids on study tours, allowing them to learn "how the steel was tempered."

The lush meadows in this compound are dotted with iron and steel sculptures, with some crafted by artists and others made by steelworkers. Meanwhile, animals such as parrots, rabbits and white geese are raised in a garden located near the outlet chimneys of a sintering plant.

Students who visit the compound get to learn about the group's state-of-the-art steel products and steel-making process, and are given hands-on opportunities to make their own steel handicrafts, thereby enabling this compound to also serve as an informal education destination.