Challenges and political solutions for steel recycling in China

The circular economy is an essential component of China's sustainable development. To promote the recycling of end-of-life products, the government has adopted various policies. Steel scrap is an important resource for steelmaking. Yet, the Chinese iron and steel industry uses less scrap to produce new steel compared to other large steelmaking countries. This article examines the reasons, why steel recycling is still relatively weak in China and what measures the government takes to improve the situation. We found that limited availability of scrap, high scrap prices, inadequate steelmaking capacities, industry fragmentation and unclear responsibilities for manufacturers are the main obstacles for steel recycling in China. The government is trying to improve steel recycling through tax incentives, import facilitation, support for supply, industry reorganization, and recycling parks, but with modest results.     

The ‘new’ economics of iron and steel

The author commences his analysis of the iron and steel industry by examining the historical background of the industry, and discusses its importance for the world economy. He examines the implications for the world industry of the successful development of the steel industry in Japan, and traces the evolution of a commodity cartel in the iron ore market, analysing the price levels of the commodity in the ‘free’ and ‘controlled’ markets. Following a discussion of the role of energy and coking coal supplies in the industry, the author examines the evolution of this industry in the less developed countries, with particular reference to the role of technology in the industry's development. He concludes that there have been important structural changes in the world industry, embraced by the concept of ‘partial demise’.     

碳中和背景下中国钢铁行业低碳发展路径

钢铁行业的低碳转型对于我国实现碳达峰碳中和目标具有至关重要的作用,有必要提前研究“双碳”目标下中国钢铁行业的发展路径及技术路线图。本文回顾了中国钢铁行业发展的历史趋势;归纳了钢铁行业实现低碳发展的主要技术选择;基于文献调研汇总了近年来关于中国钢铁行业低碳发展路径的相关研究,并总结了不同研究对钢铁未来低碳路径中关键参数的判断,包括粗钢产量、废钢资源量、电炉炼钢比例、低碳技术应用、能耗强度、二氧化碳排放等,同时分析了不同研究得出的普遍认识和主要差异。在研究中我们也简要分析了中国钢铁转型路径与全球钢铁转型路径之间的异同。基于上述分析,本文提出了“双碳”目标下中国钢铁行业发展路径的研究需求。     

The investment climate for gold mining

This analysis compares the gold mining industry investment climate in the USA to the investment climate in Australia. These two major gold producing nation's industries share many similarities; in both the USA and Australia, there is evidence of a maturing gold mining industry. Each country has experienced a dramatic increase in gold production and, more recently, greater mining of refractory ore and development of more underground operations. In the 1980s both nations experienced a pronounced rationalization trend that consolidated some gold producing operations and eliminated others. Each country commands a disproportionately large share of exploration expenditures. Land access, a major concern in the USA, has also become a critical issue in Australia as well. For all their similarities, however, the two countries have differences that are significant enough to influence mining company investment decisions. This paper explores those differences and how they may affect the future course of these nations' gold mining industries. Both effective government policy making and corporate strategic planning will occupy a major role in the future course of the two nations' gold mining industries .     

Mitigation paths for Chinese iron and steel industry to tackle global climate change

Based on a recognition of the essence of climate change and the pressure on China to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, this paper interprets the important role that the Chinese iron and steel industry may play in managing emissions. Through an investigation of the key sources of GHG emissions in the Chinese iron and steel industry, a comparison of the current Chinese and international situations, and a survey of the technology and methods available for reducing GHG emissions, and their application in China, the authors analyze the major issues currently faced by the Chinese iron and steel industry, and propose the following four approaches through which the industry might reduce its GHG emissions: (1) encouragement of clean development mechanism (CDM) projects, mainly involving secondary energy reuse, to provide capital and technology for GHG reduction activities in China; (2) stimulation of the social responsibility-based voluntary carbon market (VCM) to increase the long-term benefits for the Chinese iron and steel industry from emission reductions; (3) undertaking of strict energy auditing to help enterprises establish appropriate emission reduction targets and formulate reasonable plans; (4) promotion of emission reduction-oriented investment within the industry to obtain profits from project operation, while at the same time gaining extra compensation for emission reductions. More specifically, the design of each of these approaches should take into consideration the related economic factors and incentive mechanisms.     

Regional development benefits of mineral projects

This paper discusses the development impact of mining and mineral processing on the regions in which they are located. The discussion is organized so as to be of relevance for policy formulation in resource-rich developing countries which consider the exploitation of their mineral wealth. The hypothesis is that mining technology, interpreted in a broad sense, has undergone a profound change since 1900. In consequence, experiences of mineralbased regional development in the industrialized countries around the turn of the century are of little relevance to the Third World in the 1980s. Contemporary mineral ventures have very weak regional development repercussions in the absence of forceful policies specifically directed towards the regional development goal.     

Chinese resource security policies and the restructuring of the Asia-Pacific iron ore market

This paper reviews the restructuring of the Asia-Pacific iron ore market in the wake of the rise of the Chinese steel industry. Prior to the 2000s, this market was characterised by two key features—high firm-level concentration on both the producer and consumer sides, and price determination through annually negotiated benchmark pricing between Australian mining and Japanese steel firms. However, owing to rapid growth in the Chinese steel industry and its emergence as the region's principal iron ore consumer, the Asia-Pacific iron ore market has been dramatically restructured during the last decade. This process has been accelerated since 2005 by Chinese governmental resource security policies, which have sought to address current record high iron ore prices through the use of foreign investment to sponsor new market entrants and the formation of an import cartel amongst the Chinese steel firms. This paper evaluates how these policies have driven restructuring in the Asia-Pacific iron ore market, through an analysis of the growth of China's steel industry, Chinese resource security policies aimed at lowering iron ore import costs, and their effects upon the regional market's ownership structure and price determination mechanisms. It argues that while Chinese investment and cartelisation policies have catalysed significant changes to the ownership and pricing structures of the Asia-Pacific iron ore market, they have carried only mixed benefits for the Chinese steel industry's resource security.     

New mercantilism: A perspective on how politics is shaping world metal supply

The major countries consuming metals tended historically to be also the major countries producing them. It was in their interest to promote mine development to provide low cost raw materials. Over the past fifty years, the share of global production accounted for by consuming countries has declined and producers and consumers of metals have been slowly moving into separate camps having distinct and differing interests. As a consequence of this, governments of producing countries have become more focused on how to maximise the benefit of metal extraction to their economies rather than on how to supply cheap raw materials; a tendency which has found expression in resource nationalism. Governments of consuming countries have in response become increasingly concerned about the implications of this tendency to their economic development and some countries, most notably China, have adopted robust policies to secure their supplies. Through their actions to influence capital flows within the mining industry and to force metals trade into channels which better serve their national interests (a process characterised here as ‘new mercantilism’), metal producing and metal consuming countries are reshaping global supply.     

袋式除尘技术的应用及发展

论述了袋式除尘技术在节能减排中的作用;介绍了我国袋式除尘技术目前的应用水平及存在的问题;提出了袋式除尘技术和产业的发展方向。     

The USSR, China, India and the world metals industry to 2010

Remarkable changes are occurring within the economies of the USSR, China and India that are influencing mineral industry activities. These three countries account for a major share of world minerals production and consumption. Their domestic reforms may ultimately have a serious impact on the global mining industry. This paper examines the present status of the Soviet, Chinese and Indian mineral industries, and forecasts conditions to 2010. Long-term characteristics analysed include industrial production, intensity of use, consumption, mine and plant expansion and trade policy. Six metals are highlighted in the study – aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, steel and zinc.     

Trials and Tribulations of Third World Petroleum Development: Lessons and Advice for Prospective Producers

This paper presents a variety of lessons for governments of developing countries about how to begin to operate as new oil producers in the world petroleum market. Lessons, drawn from the recent experiences of currently producing LDCs, are identified for each stage of the industry from exploration and development through procurement and supply to refining and marketing.     

我国袋式除尘行业2008年发展综述

综述了2008年我国袋式除尘行业的发展概况;分析了袋式除尘技术在水泥、钢铁与有色冶金、电力、垃圾焚烧等行业的开发应用情况;针对袋式除尘行业在发展过程中存在的主要问题提出了对策建议,并对行业的发展趋势进行了展望。     

我国废旧机动车回收产生的二次污染及防治对策研究述评

随着我国社会经济的飞速发展,国民生活水平的提高,汽车行业飞速发展,我国汽车保有量大增,由废旧汽车带来的环境污染与安全压力也将会随之增大。目前,我国废旧汽车资源化关键技术落后,没有成套适用技术,维修方法粗糙,因此,造成的二次污染严重。综述了国内外废旧机动车回收产生的二次污染情况,总结国外的发展经验,提出适合我国国情的废旧机动车回收行业二次污染控制意见。     

我国袋式除尘行业2009年发展综述

综述了2009年我国袋式除尘行业的发展概况;分析了袋式除尘技术在水泥、钢铁与有色冶金、电力、垃圾焚烧等行业的开发应用情况,针对袋式除尘行业在发展过程中存在的主要问题提出了对策和建议,并对行业的发展趋势进行了展望。     

国内外低碳城市建设探讨与对策研究

低碳技术对经济社会变革的推动作用日益显著,建设低碳城市不仅可缓解当前全球气候变化问题,还可提高城市的竞争力。总结了英国、日本、丹麦、美国等国家在低碳城市建设方面的特点,分析了我国低碳城市建设的现状以及面临的主要挑战,针对我国的低碳城市建设提出了建议。     

钢铁行业烧结烟气活性焦（炭）干法净化技术探讨

随着我国产业结构的调整,国家对钢铁行业烧结烟气污染物排放的控制力度不断加强。传统的以脱硫为主的单一污染物控制技术已经不能满足新的环境标准的要求,烧结烟气多种污染物协同处理技术的开发与应用已成为钢铁行业污染防治的必然要求。本文阐述了活性焦（炭）吸附法烧结烟气多污染物协同处理技术的工艺原理,并通过太原钢铁集团的工程应用实例证明了活性焦（炭）吸附法多污染物协同处理技术符合钢铁行业的发展需求,在我国具有广泛的应用前景。     

Development pattern and enhancing system of automotive components remanufacturing industry in China

Along with the increasing number of automotive output and End-of-Life vehicles (ELVs) in China, resources shortage and environmental pollution are aggravating, so the tremendous need to reuse automotive components gives birth to the industry. The Chinese government becomes to realize that it is necessary to build a conservation-oriented and environment-friendly harmonious society. As the ultimate form of recycling, remanufacturing will be an effective method to promote the development of Chinese circular economy. The automotive remanufacturing industry in China is just at the preliminary stage, this paper presents some problems before remanufacturing, during remanufacturing and after remanufacturing, and then it points out several barriers, such as restrictive policies and regulations, consumer acceptance, scarcity of technologies, etc. Like many other developed countries, Chinese remanufacturing industry will also experience the primary stage, growth stage and developed stage. while the emphasis of resources input will not be the same. By analyzing the resources input characteristics at different development stages, three development patterns, such as the Government Incenting Pattern, Technology Driving Pattern and Market Leading Pattern, are put forward. At present, the cooperation of the government, industry, universities and research institutes, etc, will jointly construct the enhancing system of automotive components remanufacturing industry in China. Finally, it concludes with a summary and some suggestions in the field.     

Exporting dams: China's hydropower industry goes global

In line with China's "going out" strategy, China's dam industry has in recent years significantly expanded its involvement in overseas markets. The Chinese Export-Import Bank and other Chinese financial institutions, state-owned enterprises, and private firms are now involved in at least 93 major dam projects overseas. The Chinese government sees the new global role played by China's dam industry as a "win-win" situation for China and host countries involved. But evidence from project sites such as the Merowe Dam in Sudan demonstrates that these dams have unrecognized social and environmental costs for host communities. Chinese dam builders have yet to adopt internationally accepted social and environmental standards for large infrastructure development that can assure these costs are adequately taken into account. But the Chinese government is becoming increasingly aware of the challenge and the necessity of promoting environmentally and socially sound investments overseas.     

The uranium and nuclear industries in China

This article reviews the available information on the uranium industry and the beginning of nuclear power in China. Few details of China's uranium industry have hitherto been published in the West. The broad conclusions reached are that China is faced with severe energy shortages for the foreseeable future; nuclear power will help to solve this problem but the timing and extent of its contribution are uncertain. The central question of civil nuclear policy is whether or not to use imported technology, although satisfactory development of the uranium industry probably will require foreign assistance. The principle conestraint in this regard is foreign exchange. To help overcome this problem the Chinese are now, for the first time, offering uranium on the international market.     

Seaborne iron ore trade in the 1990s

This paper discusses how world steel production and seaborne iron ore trade have grown since 1950. The role of steel production forecasts in determining investment in the iron ore industry is examined. Forecasts for world steel production and the demand and supply of seaborne iron ore in the 1990s are presented. It is predicted that world steel production will increase by 64 million tons between 1991 and 2000. This increase will be located principally in the developing countries and China. The corresponding increase in seaborne iron ore trade will be approximately 55 million tons. Expansion projects will be located mainly in Australia and Brazil, but no greenfield iron ore projects will be undertaken. By the end of the decade, the demand for seaborne iron ore will be equal to its supply.