HBIS Tangsteel New Area: A Coastal Dream Factory—The Paragon of Full-Process Green and Intelligent Optimization

Against the backdrop of the national strategic shift of the steel industry to coastal regions and the stringent environmental constraints in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the relocation of the HBIS Tangsteel New Area to the Laoting coast was far from a mere "lift-and-shift" of capacity. Instead, spearheaded by CERI, it represented a comprehensive full-process re-engineering benchmarked against world-class modernization standards—where high-end positioning drives a product breakout. From the very outset of the design phase, the CERI's team remained laser-focused on the trinity of "Green, Intelligent, and Brand-oriented" development. Through exhaustive market research to pinpoint gaps in the high-end segment, CERI positioned the project to zero in on three core product lines: high-end automotive sheets, high-quality pickled cold-rolled substrates, and premium special steel long products. This strategy ensured a precise alignment with downstream industrial upgrades, successfully steering clear of homogeneous competition. Building upon this foundation, CERI applied the latest theories in dynamic precision design, system integration, and process interface technology. By deploying over 230 cutting-edge processes and 130 green manufacturing technologies to achieve full-process coverage, CERI has created a world-class modern coastal steel "dream factory." This facility is defined by its eco-friendly operations, state-of-the-art processes, intelligent production lines, highly efficient workflows, and premium product portfolio.

Green principles course through the veins of the full process. In the project design, CERI implemented a comprehensive four-pronged green strategy:

(1) Source Control: by designing C-type ore stockyards and 120-meter circular coal stockyards with fully enclosed, intelligent solutions to curb fugitive emissions right at the source;

 (2) Process Innovation: by installing two 360 m² sintering machines and two 760 m² traveling grate pelletizing plants—the largest in China—while applying technologies like sintering flue gas circulation, high-ratio pellet smelting, and high-efficiency automated BOF steelmaking;

(3) End-of-Pipe Treatment: by equipping the facility with activated coke and SCR units alongside advanced desulfurization, denitration, and dust removal systems to ensure pollutant emissions are comprehensively superior to national ultra-low emission standards;

(4) Resource Recycling: by achieving full recycling of industrial wastewater supplemented by municipal reclaimed water, and realizing 100% resource utilization of solid wastes such as dedusting dust, products from desulfurization and denitration, water-granulated slag from the blast furnace, and steel slag from steelmaking.

Intelligence empowers high efficiency and lean operations. CERI has incorporated innovative technologies such as digital twin plants, intelligent "unmanned" stockyards, and fully automated inspection and testing systems. By leveraging dynamic precision design and process interface technologies, CERI has achieved a compact general layout, seamless production flows, and distinct functional zoning. This design maximizes control over the entire processing journey, effectively minimizing backtracking, circuitous routing, and repetitive handling. Consequently, it ensures the lowest time consumption, minimal power usage, and the least possible fugitive emissions. Ultimately, the project guarantees the "continuity, simplicity, and compactness" of material, energy, and information flows. Notably, the land utilization intensity reached 0.53 t/m², a leading level among steel enterprises of the same class.

3D Digital Plant Operation Diagram of the HBIS Tangsteel Project Undertaken by CERI

Integrated optimization drives exceptional benefits. Since becoming operational, the project has generated substantial annual economic returns, with nearly 60% of these gains attributed to efficiency improvements in collaborative management. The environmental benefits are equally remarkable, featuring annual reductions of 125.7 tons of dust, 440 tons of SO₂, and 628.6 tons of NO_x, alongside a total CO₂ emission cut of 2.96 million tons per year. On the strength of its superior operational performance, the project was honored with the "National Quality Engineering Gold Award" and the "First Prize of the Metallurgical Science and Technology Award," establishing itself as a Chinese paradigm for world-class modern coastal steel bases.

HBIS Tangsteel Project Undertaken by CERI

HBIS Shisteel New Area: The EAF Short-Route Special Steel "Dream Factory"—A Revolution in Lean and Intelligent Manufacturing

Amidst tightening environmental constraints, the growing sophistication of special steel demand, and the rising prominence of short-route advantages, the HBIS Shisteel New Area emerges as the definitive "Shisteel Solution" crafted by CERI for the transformation and upgrading of inland urban steel plants into high-end special steel bases—

HBIS Shisteel Project Undertaken by CERI

Ultimate Short Route: The project employs a revolutionary short route comprising "steel scrap shearing → EAF primary steelmaking → refining → continuous Casting → rolling → finishing." By eliminating the coking, sintering, and blast furnace sequences—the most pollution-intensive steps in the traditional long route—the project achieves decarbonization and emission reduction right at the source. Applying the theory of Metallurgical Process Engineering, the CERI's team relentlessly pursued the "minimization of attenuation in material and energy flows" as well as the "minimization of process emissions and time-space consumption."

High-End Product Portfolio and Full-Spectrum Coverage: The project achieves full-category coverage with specifications ranging from φ5mm to φ260mm, encompassing special steel wire rods, small-to-large bars, and square billets. Building on traditional strengths in gear steel, alloy structural steel, and high-quality carbon structural steel, the portfolio has expanded to include high-end grades such as cold heading steel, tire cord steel, prestressed steel, and alloy tool and mold steel. Product quality meets top-tier international standards, exemplified by high-carbon chromium bearing steel boasting world-leading purity [w (T.O)≤5 ppm, w (Ti)≤10 ppm and w (Ca)≤3 ppm] and high-end gear steel achieving world-advanced homogeneity with a cross-section carbon content deviation of ≤0.01% and a hardenability bandwidth of ≤3HRC.

Intelligent Layout and Extreme Compactness: The project adopts a streamlined linear layout, where processes from steel scrap processing and primary steelmaking into liquid steel to billet hot charging and rolling are tightly integrated. With a billet hot charging ratio reaching 60%, the design ensures minimal backtracking or circuitous routing within a rational process framework. Public and auxiliary power systems are strategically arranged around main processing units based on load distribution. This minimizes pipeline lengths and invalid losses, resulting in high production efficiency and significantly reduced energy consumption. Overall, the project achieves international leading levels for facilities of its class, featuring a specific land use of just 0.74 m²/t—far superior to the national standard of 1.0 m²/t–1.5 m²/t—and comprehensive energy consumption of 220.3 kgce per ton, along with per-ton emissions of 0.19 kg SO₂, 0.25 kg dust, and 0.3 kg NO_x, and 100% rates for both secondary energy recovery and solid waste utilization.

Precision Equipment Configuration and Green Intelligent Manufacturing: The project is equipped with top-tier machinery, including China's first SHARC EAF, a vertical continuous casting machine boasting the world's largest section and greatest depth, the KOCKS 3-roll Reducing & Sizing Block, and the high-precision Morgan Generation 7 Wire Rod Mill. This advanced configuration has facilitated the creation of unique products represented by carburizing bearing steel and high-carbon chromium bearing steel. Notably, high-end bearing steel for balls and rollers—exemplified by Timken 52100 and SKF3 grades—has successfully achieved import substitution, forming an internationally competitive product cluster. Environmentally, the project has achieved zero liquid discharge (ZLD) and 100% comprehensive utilization of solid waste, such as steel slag. By utilizing waste heat recovered from the circulating water for equipment cooling and heating furnace steam, the project provides district heating for 5 million square meters of the local community. These efforts have built a "Five-Aspect" green factory, setting a global benchmark for green and cleaner production in the iron and steel industry. In the realm of intelligence, guided by the Guidelines for the Construction of National Intelligent Manufacturing Standard System and drawing on advanced global concepts, the project has constructed a robust Level 2 (L2) and Level 3 (L3) architecture. Through the application of robotics, big data, and BI technology, it has established a global benchmark for special steel smart manufacturing, earning distinctions such as "National Intelligent Manufacturing Pilot Demonstration Factory," "Digital Leading Enterprise," and "National Green Factory."

HBIS Zhangxuan Tech Hydrogen Metallurgy: A Zero-Carbon Pioneer Leading the New Era of Steel’s "Green Revolution"

Compelled by the dual pressures of achieving the Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality goals and international trade carbon barriers, CERI achieved a pioneering breakthrough in the core technological barriers of hydrogen metallurgy at HBIS Xuansteel, blazing a brand-new trail for near-zero carbon steelmaking—

World’s First Zero-Reforming Shaft Furnace for Hydrogen Metallurgy Using Coke Oven Gas: By utilizing coke oven gas (a coking byproduct with 60% hydrogen content) as a reducing agent and employing self-developed "Zero-Reforming In-situ Gas Conditioning" technology, the project achieves a hydrogen-to-carbon ratio exceeding 8:1 in the reducing gas, approaching a near-total hydrogen state. Phase I, powered by coke oven gas, has operated stably for several years, with a product metallization rate of ≥94.5%, surpassing Grade-I international standards, while various metrics consistently refresh and set new world records. Compared to the traditional blast furnace (BF) route, the project reduces annual CO₂ emissions by 800 kt—a 70% reduction—while lowering SO₂, NO_x, and dust emissions by 30%, 70%, and 80%, respectively. The China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) has hailed the project as a major breakthrough in key hydrogen metallurgy technologies and a significant milestone in the transition from traditional "Carbon Metallurgy" to the new "Hydrogen Metallurgy" in both Chinese and global steel history, leading the iron and steel industry into an era of "Hydrogen-for-Coal" green steelmaking.

World's First 1.2 Mt/a Hydrogen Metallurgy Project Undertaken by CERI for HBIS Zhangxuan Tech

The World's First Hydrogen Metallurgy Green Steel Automotive Sheet Continuous Casting Line Undertaken by CERI for HBIS Becomes Operational

Building a "Green Power-Green Hydrogen-Green Steel" Zero-Carbon Industrial Chain: Phase I of the project uses coke oven gas as a transitional gas source and incorporates a reserved design for green hydrogen integration, while Phase II will leverage wind and solar resources in Zhangjiakou to achieve 100% green hydrogen smelting. With the successful commissioning of the hydrogen refueling station, green hydrogen has been injected into the hydrogen metallurgy process, achieving a breakthrough in green hydrogen-based metallurgy. Supported by the world’s first hydrogen metallurgy green automotive sheet continuous casting line, the project has successfully established a zero-carbon automotive steel production route encompassing "Hydrogen-based DRI → High-efficiency EAF → High-end Automotive Sheet."

Enhancing the International Competitiveness of "Green Steel": In terms of quality, DRI from hydrogen metallurgy contains extremely low levels of harmful elements; this significantly improves EAF steel purity, keeping liquid steel nitrogen content below 25 ppm to meet the stringent standards of automotive sheet. Regarding economic and market advantages, labor costs have been reduced by 75%, and, through carbon tax avoidance and "green steel" premiums, international competitiveness is substantially enhanced, with over 60 types of low-carbon steel products exported to world-renowned enterprises. For digital empowerment, the project has constructed an intelligent hydrogen metallurgy control system and digital twin to achieve full-process carbon emission tracking and optimization, providing full-lifecycle carbon footprint reports that precisely meet international market demands, such as the "green steel" certification requirements of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and the like.

Extending the Industrial Chain and Exporting the "China Solution": In collaboration with Xinjiang Hengtai, CERI is leveraging local abundant wind and solar resources to construct a 1.2 Mt/a Solar Photovoltaic Hydrogen Production and Hydrogen-based Shaft Furnace Metallic Pellet Project, utilizing green power for water electrolysis to produce high-purity precision castings. This initiative creates a "zero-carbon casting" closed loop and provides low-carbon equipment manufacturing solutions for the Belt and Road Initiative, writing a new chapter in "Zero-Carbon Intelligent Manufacturing."

CERI Model: Forging New Quality Productive Forces and Constructing a Green Steel Ecosystem

The successful practice of CERI in supporting HBIS's three major bases represents far more than isolated technical applications; instead, it constitutes the systematic construction of future-oriented "new quality productive forces" and a green steel industrial ecosystem.

Achieving Technical Autonomy and a Forward-looking Strategic Layout: From the full-process optimization and integration at HBIS Tangsteel and the extreme intelligent manufacturing of the short-process route at HBIS Shisteel, to the original and pioneering hydrogen metallurgy at HBIS Xuansteel, CERI has realized a full-chain breakthrough spanning basic theory, pilot research, localization of major equipment, and engineering application. Notably, its series of hydrogen metallurgy technologies has established a globally leading strategic layout.

Deep Process Reengineering and Decarbonization Revolution: CERI explores the ultra-short process of "Hydrogen Metallurgy + High-Efficiency EAF + Castrip® Strip Casting and Rolling." This route offers a carbon reduction potential exceeding 90% compared to the traditional long process, representing a disruptive transformation in the steel manufacturing paradigm.

Blueprint for "Zero-Carbon Steel Plants" and Ecosystem Construction: CERI uses green electricity and green hydrogen as base energy sources and integrates intelligence and near-net-shape manufacturing technologies, aiming directly at future steel plants characterized by "zero interface, zero carbon emissions, and zero waste." Meanwhile, CERI maintains close industry collaboration, uniting with leading domestic and international enterprises to actively promote cross-industry cooperation in energy and equipment manufacturing and build a symbiotic and win-win green low-carbon industrial ecosystem.

Resonating with National Strategy: The three major projects involving CERI deeply align with the national "1+N" Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality policy system, lead the industry transition from "dual control of energy consumption" to "dual control of carbon emissions," and provide a replicable and scalable systemic solution for the iron and steel industry to implement "pursuing progress amidst stability and elevating quality through innovation."

Guided by innovation, CERI is delivering China’s answer to sustainable steel development. With policy, green-transition, and supply–demand pressures converging in the Critical Phase and Restructuring Phase, CERI and HBIS Group have advanced three flagship efforts—full-process green and intelligent optimization at HBIS Tangsteel New Area, EAF-based short-process intelligent manufacturing of specialty steels at HBIS Shisteel New Area, and Xuansteel’s trailblazing zero-carbon practice in hydrogen metallurgy. Together, these efforts bring to life the essence of "elevating quality through innovation"—new concepts lead positioning, new technologies reshape processes, new equipment underpins quality, and a new ecosystem empowers the future.

These three benchmark projects significantly enhance HBIS’s core competitiveness and, through tangible emissions reductions, solid economic returns, and international recognition—including the National Quality Engineering Gold Award, the First Prize of the Metallurgical Science and Technology Award, intelligent-manufacturing demonstration status, green-factory designation, and successful product exports—have secured an early advantage for China’s iron and steel industry in responding to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and capturing the high ground in the global "green steel" market.

CERI's practice fully demonstrates that technological innovation serves as the core engine for breakthroughs, green and intelligent development as the inevitable path for transformation, and high-end advancement as the key fulcrum for value enhancement. Only through these pillars can "pursuing progress amidst stability" be achieved and future-oriented new quality productive forces be forged. As the "national team" in metallurgical engineering and construction, CERI is leveraging continual breakthroughs in core technologies and strong system-integration capabilities to help China’s steel industry move from "the world’s largest" to "the world’s strongest," delivering a new, greener, smarter, and more efficient answer.