China's steel export grew 21.2 percent year on year in the first three quarters this year, according to the data released by China Iron and Steel Industry Association (CISA) Friday.
The data showed that China exported a total of 80.71 million tonnes of steel in the first three quarters.
The increased export is driven by an improved industrial structure, said Jiang Wei, vice president of CISA.
"As the county further advanced its industrial restructuring, the consumption structure of steel was also further improved, with steel consumption expanding rapidly particularly in sectors of new energy industry, high-end equipment manufacturing industry, and electric vehicle industry," said Jiang.
China has been promoting the digitalization and the green transition of its steel industry. The sector will be included in the country's carbon trading market, where the enterprises will be given a certain amount emissions quota over a designated period of time and trade the unused quota if they lower their carbon emissions.
The country is also working on a three-year action plan to digitalize the industry, with the corresponding guidelines issued to give specific plans of transition to links from production to buissness operation.
By early October, 159 steel companies in China had completed or partially completed the transformation and the evaluation of ultra-low carbon emissions.
By the end of 2025, the steel enterprises in the main steel-producing regions would have basically completed their ultra-low carbon emissions transformation.
Steel export up 21.2 pct in first three quarters
The massive production complex of BASF in Zhanjiang City in south China's Guangdong Province has become a major symbol of China-Germany cooperation and green power utilization.
The company on Thursday put the multibillion-euro site into full operation, marking the largest single investment project wholly owned by a German enterprise in China.
With an investment of 8.7 billion euros, the integrated site covers about 4 square kilometers, the company said. Industry analysts say the project underscores BASF's long-term commitment to expanding in China as the country continues to promote high-standard opening up.
Unlike traditional plants, it runs entirely on green power, using 100 percent renewable electricity and fully electric-driven compressors for its core steam cracker.
"By utilizing 100 percent of the renewable energy, our products made in Zhanjiang contribute also significantly to the lower carbon product footprint. Our current product footprint for such a site like ours will probably be around 4 million tons of CO2. And today, we are at 1.7 million tons of CO2," said Haryono Lim, president of Mega Projects Asia at BASF.
Cutting carbon emissions by more than half, the Zhanjiang site is setting new benchmarks for sustainable chemical production.
"We wanted to distinctively move to South China to participate in the strong growth around the Pearl River Delta and in Guangdong Province. And then, of course, Zhanjiang offers great opportunities with its good infrastructure, deep-sea harbor, and great support by the local government," said Markus Kamieth, CEO of BASF.
The local government's support has been key to the company's growth in the region, and the project is now driving broader green ambitions.
"BASF's full operation boosts the region's low-carbon hydrogen transition by developing the hydrogen value chain to attract related industries, supplying low-cost green power from offshore wind and solar, driving green upgrades in local petrochemicals and steel, and helping build a national pilot zone for zero-carbon industrial parks," said Yang Jiedong, director of the Administrative Committee of Zhanjiang Economic and Technological Development Zone.
BASF Zhanjiang production complex goes fully green, using 100 percent renewable electricity
