On March 22, the 2025 (16th) Steel High-quality Development Conference with the theme of "Planning a New chapter of the '15th Five-Year Plan' low-carbon transformation Roadmap" was held in Beijing. Government leaders, industry experts, and enterprise representatives gathered together to draw a new blueprint for the high-quality development of the steel industry. The conference was guided by China Iron and Steel Association, sponsored by Metallurgical Industry Planning and Research Institute, co-sponsored by Qingtuo Group Co., LTD., Fujian Sangang (Group) Co., LTD., supported by Zhongxin Iron and Steel Group Co., LTD., Liaoning Penghui Casting Co., LTD.

Jiang Wei, deputy Secretary of the Steel Association Party Committee, Vice President and Secretary-General, made an opening speech. Li Yizhong, former Minister of MIIT and President of China Federation of Industrial Economics; Gan Yong, former Vice President and academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering; Lu Shize, Deputy Director General of Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Ecology and Environment; Shi Xiaopeng, Deputy Director General of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, and Zhong Shaoliang, Deputy Director General of World Steel Association and Chief representative of Beijing Representative Office, respectively made presentations entitled "Industrial Digital Transformation and Upgrading Deepening to Real Excellence" and "Accelerating industrial structural Adjustment". Supporting the high-quality development of steel, Accelerating the construction of the National carbon Market, Steadily promoting the high-quality development of the steel Industry, Improving the quality and efficiency of Innovation and Transformation towards the new advantages of the development of the high-end casting Jiangsu Steel Industry, and the Development situation of the global steel industry and the Progress of low-carbon Transformation. Metallurgical industry planning and Research Institute Party secretary, president Xiao Bangguo, vice president Guan Zhijie presided over the meeting.

Jiang Wei pointed out that 2024 is a year of deep adjustment in the steel industry, and a series of new situations, new challenges and new opportunities continue to emerge in line with the characteristics of The Times, of which the most fundamental, affecting the overall situation and determining the future is the sharp change in the structure and total consumption of steel. The change of steel consumption structure brings about the high intensity and continuity of the total consumption change, which is an unprecedented challenge facing China's steel, and the imbalance between supply and demand is the main contradiction affecting the development of the industry at present. How to deal with the crisis, how to turn the crisis into an opportunity, and achieve high-quality development of the industry are major issues that the government, industry and enterprises need to think deeply in combination with the actual situation.

For the steel industry to continue to promote high-quality development, Jiang Wei put forward three suggestions: First, effectively close the entrance of new production capacity, unblock backward production capacity exit channels as soon as possible, and establish a new mechanism for production capacity management is a key move to solve the main contradictions in the current industry. From the long-term development of the industry, the state control of production and the industry self-discipline to reduce production are expedient measures. Only through the government, effective market, based on market-oriented and law-based means, cancel the capacity index transaction, close the entrance of new capacity, and smooth the exit channel of inefficient capacity, is the key to solving the main contradiction in the current industry. The second is to adhere to scientific and technological innovation, deeply cultivate market segments, and achieve higher added value by providing more professional products for more professional users. In the face of supply and demand imbalance and homogeneous competition, enterprises should carry out differentiated competition through continuous technological innovation, strive to reduce costs, improve product quality, achieve the supply capacity of higher value-added steel materials, enhance the comprehensive comparative advantage of enterprises, and adhere to product innovation, service innovation, equipment and technology progress and strengthen the synergy of the industrial chain. Third, adhering to green and low-carbon transformation is the only way for the steel industry to achieve high-quality sustainable development. The inclusion of the steel industry in the national carbon market is both an opportunity and a challenge. Enterprises should effectively consolidate data quality management, comprehensively improve the level of carbon emission management, and systematically enhance the ability to compete in low carbon.

Li Yizhong analysis pointed out that the current industrial digital transformation and upgrading is still facing a series of challenges, top-down implementation is strong, fast progress, bottom-up enthusiasm, initiative needs to be further improved. The focus of industrial digital transformation and upgrading should go deep into the core parts of production and manufacturing, and it should also accelerate the deep integration of digitalization and green development and coordinated development. At the same time, he stressed that today's market competition is more reflected in the industrial chain supply chain, industrial digital transformation should be expanded from enterprises to the industrial chain supply chain, at the same time, but also pay attention to control investment, reduce costs and efficiency, energy saving and consumption reduction, to focus on effectiveness, not too much pursuit of "advanced", calculate the input and output account, and to break barriers, data sharing, build a solid digital foundation.

Gan Yong elaborated on the evolution of the global pattern of energy resources, the demand situation of low-carbon metallurgical technology and the reshaping effect of artificial intelligence on material research and development, and proposed the development route of low-carbon metallurgical technology in China in the late industrialization period. He stressed that the steel industry has shown the regular characteristics of the downward trend in the late industrialization. To support the high-quality development of steel, we must first promote the deepening of industrial reform and accelerate the adjustment of industrial structure from the strategic level, and should focus on the construction of an integrated intelligent platform for joint production and operation of steel, optimize the industrial structure with the scene innovation of artificial intelligence, and promote the effectiveness of the whole industrial chain with marketization and platform. At the same time, it is also necessary to ensure the security of the resource supply chain, lay out the "mining in the North and the South", increase resource cooperation with neighboring countries, and create a "circle of friends" for mineral resources.

Lu put forward three requirements for the steel industry to enter the national carbon market: First, speed up the green and low-carbon transition. It is recommended to start early and prepare early to reduce the carbon emission level of enterprises and lay a good foundation for entering the national carbon market. Second, strictly abide by market rules. The supporting systems of the Interim Regulations on the Administration of Carbon Emission Trading shall be strictly observed; Submit data truthfully, accurately and timely, and carry out key parameter monthly inventory, annual report, information disclosure and other work; Pay the quota in full and on time. Third, we will strengthen enterprise capacity building. We should attach great importance to data quality management and formulate implementation strategies. Set up a special personnel and technical team to take charge of the national carbon market and improve the basic capacity of carbon emission management; Improve the statistical accounting system, improve the level of measurement.

Shi Xiaopeng pointed out that at present, Sunan special steel material cluster has typical results in five aspects: the world's first industrial scale, strong scientific and technological innovation, high-quality enterprises continue to emerge, digital intelligence can walk in the forefront, and product competitive advantages. Looking forward to the future development, he said that Jiangsu, as a large steel province and a strong province of special steel, will continue to strengthen the protection of land, energy, environment, data and other factors, continue to promote innovation, deepen industrial intelligence, cultivate high-quality enterprises, improve service guarantee capabilities, vigorously promote the high-quality development of southern Jiangsu special steel material cluster, and gather strength to build a world-class trillion-class industrial aircraft carrier. Contribute to the high-quality development of the national steel industry in southern Jiangsu.

Zhong Shaoliang systematically sorted out the development situation of the global steel industry in recent years from both ends of supply and demand, and predicted the future changes in the global steel market. He said emerging markets outside China had begun to rise and there was still room for global steel demand to grow in the medium to long term, but the structure of demand could change. At the same time, he believes that the global steel industry's carbon reduction situation is still not optimistic. A new generation of revolutionary low-carbon steel iron production technology is under development, large-scale application is expected to take a long time, the global steel industry's low-carbon transformation in the short term or will show signs of slowing down. He stressed that the definition of "green steel" needs unified guidance and supervision. More important and fundamental than the "green steel standard" is the accounting and verification of steel carbon emission levels in different countries, regions and enterprises, which requires a set of global unified carbon emission accounting methods.

At the meeting, Jiang Laizhu, president of Stainless Steel Research Institute of Qingtuo Group Co., LTD., Liu Zhengang, Standing Committee Member and deputy general manager of Baotou Iron and Steel (Group) Co., LTD., Li Yiren, deputy general manager of River Steel Group Co., LTD., Sun Maolin, deputy Party secretary, director and general manager of Beijing Shougang Co., LTD., and Zhang Tianfu, president of Shanxi Jinnan Iron and Steel Group Co., LTD., have done enterprise experience exchange. Gao Sheng, Deputy Director of the Comprehensive Planning Division of the Metallurgical Industry Planning and Research Institute (presiding over the work), gave a keynote report.

Leaders from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and other national ministries, guests from the China Federation of Industrial Economics, China Iron and Steel Industry Association, World Steel Association and other industry associations and scientific research institutions, relevant leaders of local government departments, as well as nearly 100 steel enterprises and steel industry chain enterprises, technology companies, financial institutions representatives of nearly 400 people attended the meeting.