China's first million-ton near-zero-carbon steel production line began full-capacity operation in Zhanjiang City, south China's Guangdong Province, on Tuesday, marking a major breakthrough for the country's steel industry in advancing low-carbon development.
The production line employs an advanced hydrogen-based reduction and electric smelting process, with hydrogen as the primary fuel replacing traditional coke, significantly cutting carbon emissions.
It offers a novel pathway for China's steel industry to break free from its deep reliance on fossil fuels.
Direct reduced iron produced by the core hydrogen-based vertical furnace achieved the targeted metallization rate. And high-efficiency green facilities like electric furnaces further enhance energy utilization efficiency.
Compared to traditional processes, this new production line reduces carbon emissions by 50 percent to 80 percent.
The hydrogen-based steelmaking technology revolutionizes the conventional energy-intensive and polluting smelting process, making steel production increasingly low-carbon.
"The million-ton near-zero-carbon steel production line reduces carbon emissions by over 3.14 million tons annually, equivalent to restoring 2,000 square kilometers of forest. It provides a model for the low-carbon transformation of steel enterprises and contributes to the high-quality development of the steel industry," said Wang Hongliang, a staff member of the China Baowu Steel Group Corporation Limited.
China's first million-ton zero-carbon steel production line starts operation
Military delegates from Thailand and Cambodia convened a meeting at the Thai side of the border in Chanthaburi province on Wednesday to prepare for formal talks regarding a ceasefire and monitoring mechanisms along their disputed border.
The secretariat-level meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) began at the Ban Phak Kat permanent checkpoint. At around 16:25 local time, the Cambodian delegation arrived for a half-hour preliminary discussion.
Speaking to reporters after the session, GBC Secretary for the Thai side Nuttapong Praokaew stated that the initial talks focused on setting the agenda for a full-delegation meeting scheduled for 09:00 on Thursday.
Both sides have already exchanged their respective standpoints, Natthaphong noted.
In this meeting, both parties will discuss and exchange documents to prepare for the upcoming 3rd Special GBC meeting, which is scheduled to be held on December 27, 2025, in order to ensure the cessation of hostilities and find solutions to restore stability between the two countries, as well as to facilitate a swift return to normalcy, said Cambodian Ministry of Defense's Undersecretary of State and spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata.
Thai Defense Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said earlier on Wednesday that the secretariat meeting would take place from Wednesday to Friday.
If these preliminary discussions proceed smoothly, they will be followed by a meeting between the defense ministers of both nations on Saturday, he told a press briefing.
Surasant noted that clashes between the two sides are still ongoing, having already resulted in the deaths of 23 Thai soldiers. As of 08:00 on Wednesday, 42 Thai civilians had been killed and 13 injured in the multi-day conflict.
The Thailand-Cambodia border conflict has reignited since Dec. 7, and both sides have accused the other of initiating the attack.
Thailand, Cambodia start General Border Committee secretariat meeting amid ongoing clashes
