As a driver of technological transformation in the industry, Capital Engineering & Research Incorporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as CERI) has steadily advanced in green, intelligent, high-end and international development, achieving substantial results, with innovation as its primary motive force over the past five years. 

Deepening reform to unlock the source of technological innovation 

Improve the R&D system to consolidate the foundation for innovation. CERI has established a distinctive "1+N" R&D system architecture, with the Technical Research Institute as its core conducting fundamental and common R&D. The Company has increased R&D investment and actively undertaken approximately 100 independent R&D projects. It has established a special Board of Directors on Scientific and Technological Innovation and formed a Scientific and Technological Advisory Committee to integrate strategic R&D resources. CERI took the lead in establishing the "Clean Production Standardization Working Group of China Iron and Steel Association", actively participated in the restructuring of the "State Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection for the Iron and Steel Industry," achieved an excellent rating in the re-evaluation of its "National Enterprise Technology Center," received a good rating for its academician workstation, and was accredited as a "Beijing Enterprise Technology Center". Furthermore, it has jointly established R&D centers with Minjiang University and Hebei Zhongshou Special Steel Group Co., Ltd. The development of these technological innovation platforms provides strong support for the company's innovative growth. 

Innovate incentive mechanisms to stimulate enthusiasm for scientific research. Building on its existing R&D achievement evaluation system, CERI has continuously strengthened its incentive mechanisms by implementing diversified measures such as subsidies for "first unit (set)" equipment, the "open competition system", and project "co-investment". It has launched dozens of open innovation fund projects open to the public and established joint laboratories with more than 10 universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Northeastern University, and University of Science and Technology Beijing. These initiatives have provided strong support for scientific and technical personnel to tackle key technological challenges and drive industrial upgrading. 

Source revolution, building a green manufacturing system  

CERI has embedded green development at the core of its strategy and established a comprehensive green manufacturing system. Rather than focusing solely on end treatment, is prioritizes source revolution to drive the green transformation of metallurgical processes. By providing systematic technical solutions and demonstrating successful engineering practices, CERI supports the industry's low-carbon transformation. 

Deploy hydrogen metallurgy to drive the low-carbon transformation. CERI concentrates on breakthroughs in core hydrogen metallurgy technologies through a series of measures, including optimizing its organizational structure, establishing R&D teams, conducting pilot tests of R&D, and implementing engineering projects. At HBIS Xuansteel, the world’s first 1.2 mt hydrogen metallurgy demonstration project was implemented, driving the transformation from traditional “carbon metallurgy” to new “hydrogen metallurgy.” The world’s first hydrogen metallurgy green automotive panel continuous casting production line was constructed, establishing a low-carbon green steel production chain comprising hydrogen-based shaft furnace, green arc furnace and slab continuous caster. At Jingang, the engineering demonstration for “R&D of Green Low-carbon Hydrogen Metallurgy Technology and Key Equipment”-the hydrogen metallurgy gas-based direct reduction test base-successfully completed hot commissioning, providing fundamental support for in-depth low-carbon research. As the overall designer for Xinjiang Hengtai 1.2 mt/a pure hydrogen metallurgy green casting project, CERI has established an integrated green steel casting production system covering the entire process of “green hydrogen–green power–green hydrogen metallurgy–green casting”. CERI has also actively advanced pilot testing for "Development of Key Technologies and Equipment for Shaft Furnace Hydrogen Metallurgy" project and completed China's first monograph systematically expounding on hydrogen metallurgy technologies and equipment. 

CERI built the world's first 1.2 mt hydrogen metallurgy demonstration project for HBIS. 

Innovate energy-saving technologies to enhance energy efficiency. Focusing on key issues in the metallurgical industry, CERI has made significant progress in energy-saving technologies. Its high-efficiency waste heat power generation technology for clean coke ovens, high-performance low-voltage frequency converters and intelligent grid management and control technology for steel enterprises have been successively included in the National Recommended Catalogue of Energy-saving Technologies and Equipment in the Industry and Information Technology Sector. Seizing opportunities for energy conservation, carbon reduction and industrial transformation in the iron and steel industry, CERI collaborated with Longmen New Energy on ultra-supercritical power generation project, partnered with Eastern Steel in Malaysia to launch an overseas EPC project for coal gas power generation, and joined forces with Fangchenggang of Liuzhou Steel Group to construct what was then the world's largest 200,000 m³ BOF gas holder... CERI has achieved widespread deployment of its core energy-saving products, demonstrating its technical expertise in efficient energy utilization. 

The "Eastern Steel Phase II Project in Malaysia" undertaken by CERI, was recognized as a benchmark project for green supply chain management in international engineering. 

Promote ultra-low emissions and build green factories. CERI actively implements the national "dual carbon" strategy, focusing on key areas. It has collaborated with clients such as Baowu, HBIS, JISCO, Bensteel, and Hebei Yong Yang Special Steel to jointly develop ecological and environmental protection control platforms, facilitating the green and low-carbon development of steel enterprises. CERI has organically integrated environmental consulting with intelligence for steel enterprises. In collaboration with Baowu Group., it co-developed a smart ecological and environmental control system, creating China’s first intelligent management platform covering exhaust gas, wastewater and solid waste and comprehensive environmental management. It partnered with Shaanxi Steel Group Longsteel to conduct full-process ultra-low emission assessment and monitoring, gradually establishing a technical system for ultra-low emissions across the entire process. In partnership with Ningbo Iron & Steel, it provided consulting services on carbon market compliance, helping Ningbo Iron & Steel earn the title of “Dual Carbon Best Practice Energy Efficiency Demonstration Enterprise” in the first batch. Additionally, it collaborated with steel enterprises such as HBIS Group, Jianlong Group, Jiyuan Iron & Steel, and Taihang Iron & Steel on multiple hot metal treatment projects. 

Smart empowerment, fortifying the digital foundation of steel enterprises  

With digital technology as its core driver, CERI systematically advances the intelligent upgrade of the entire chain in iron and steel industry. Leveraging the CERIOS industrial internet platform and integrating cutting-edge technologies such as big data, AI and digital twins, CERI has built an intelligent business system encompassing intelligent manufacturing, smart grid, intelligent equipment and an AI middle platform, laying a solid digital foundation for high-quality industry development. 

Strengthen intelligent manufacturing to empower production processes. With CERI Digital at its core, CERI has constructed an intelligent manufacturing system covering the entire process of design, production and operation & maintenance. Specifically, the CERIOS industrial internet platform adopts a cloud-native and microservices architecture, achieving massive device connectivity and unified data management through cloud-edge collaboration. It provides clients with advanced applications such as integrated production and sales control, smart energy and carbon management and intelligent quality analysis. The platform was not only included in MIIT’s 2023 Information Technology Application Innovation Solutions but also won the First Prize at the China Innovation Methods Competition. It has been successfully deployed at enterprises such as Linyi Iron and Steel Investment Group Special Steel and Shanxi Jingang. Meanwhile, the full-process digital twin factory utilizes a coding system of "identification code as the backbone and material code as the branch" to build a four-level twin model for the factory, process, equipment and product. This facilitates intelligent decision-making and closed-loop optimization in production scheduling, energy distribution and equipment O&M. Following its deployment in projects for Ansteel and Jiangyin Xingcheng Special Steel Works, it has significantly enhanced operational efficiency and has been repeatedly recognized as an Intelligent Manufacturing Demonstration Project by MIIT. 

Shanxi Jingang full-process intelligent factory project undertaken by CERI 

Focus on smart grid to enhance green efficiency. CERI GRID of CERI focuses on the intelligent regulation and green, low-carbon transformation of enterprise power grids. By deeply integrating digital and intelligent technologies, it constructs an intelligent management and control system for industrial microgrids, achieving automatic power flow control, intelligent grid dispatching and smart incident handling. The system has been successfully applied in enterprises such as Fengnan Iron & Steel and Shiheng Special Steel, effectively increasing the utilization rate of self-generated power by 7%, saving 330 million kWh of electricity annually, and reducing CO₂ emissions by approximately 190,000 tons. Its technological achievements have been evaluated as "internationally leading level" by CSM. Furthermore, this series of products has won the excellence award of Chinese Patent Award and the first prize of China Innovation Methods Competition. It has also been included in the National Recommended Catalogue of Energy-saving Technologies and Equipment in the Industry and Information Technology Sector, as well as 2024 Typical Cases of IoT Empowerment by MIIT, providing a replicable path for steel enterprises to achieve safe, efficient and green energy usage. 

Develop intelligent equipment to achieve technological breakthroughs. To address challenges in the metallurgical industry, such as difficulties with high-end equipment and high reliance on manual labor in production lines, CERI continues to advance the independence and controllability of core technologies. CERI frequency converters are designed to separate the controller from the power unit, enabling rapid replacement within 15 minutes. They integrate intelligent functions such as IoT connectivity, fault prediction and load monitoring. These converters have been successfully deployed in high-end rolling lines of Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Zhanjiang Iron & Steel and Liuzhou Steel Group, achieving domestic substitution for critical drive equipment. CERI’s “CERI SmartEye” machine vision system, built on a hardware foundation of more than 50 industrial cameras and over 10 radars, integrates multimodal one-by-one tracking with sawing zone flow calculation control technology. It achieves comprehensive visual coverage and AI closed-loop control in the long product workshops of enterprises such as Fujian Sansteel and Aosen Steel, effectively replacing manual duty and promoting lean-staffed and unmanned operation of production lines. The system was selected as one of the Top Ten Intelligent Manufacturing News of the Year in the iron and steel industry, highlighting the innovative capabilities of domestic intelligent equipment. 

CERI’s “ForeSail” AI product centers on building an enterprise intelligent hub to create a unified AI middle platform and comprehensively provide computing power resource management, multimodal data governance, full model lifecycle management and low-code development support. The middle platform integrates a wide range of pre-trained models and mainstream deep learning frameworks, empowering enterprises to rapidly fine-tune models, build applications and innovate across scenarios, thereby facilitating the large-scale deployment of AI in sectors such as intelligent manufacturing and smart cities. It not only solidifies the enterprise's digital foundation but also provides long-term support for the integrated, standardized, secure and stable development of future technology systems. It offers full-process support for the customized development and continuous evolution of vertical large models and intelligent agents, driving the deep integration of artificial intelligence technology with industrial scenarios. 

CERI's enterprise-level AI product "ForeSail" launched 

Self-reliance and self-strengthening, continuously consolidating core advantages  

CERI remains committed to high-end development, continuously consolidating its technological leadership in the industry and promoting the extension of its industrial structure toward the high end of the value chain. By comprehensively enhancing the quality and efficiency of enterprise development, it has expanded new spaces and injected new momentum into sustainable development. 

Breakthroughs in key technologies demonstrate innovation strength. Over the past five years, CERI has made significant progress in key core technologies: the number of granted patents has increased annually, with high-value invention patents accounting for more than half; dozens of technological achievements have been appraised by authoritative bodies as reaching internationally advanced levels or above; CERI has received dozens of provincial and ministerial awards for scientific and technological achievements. The project "Development and Application of Continuous Casting Solidification End Heavy Reduction Technology" won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. The "Explosion-proof Full Waste Heat Recovery Technology and Equipment for BOF Flue Gas" was successfully recognized as Beijing's First Major Technical Equipment. Breakthroughs have been successively achieved in low-carbon technologies, including the world's first hydrogen metallurgy, gas-based direct reduced iron, long-process hydrogen-enriched sintering, and hydrogen-enriched blast furnace technologies. The "Development and Application of Ultra-thick Slab Continuous Casting Technology" won the grand prize of Metallurgical Science and Technology Award and the first prize of Beijing Science and Technology Progress Award. 

The world's first explosion-proof and low-temperature waste heat recovery technology for BOF flue gas by CERI 

Tackle core equipment challenges to achieve import substitution. In the field of core equipment manufacturing, CERI continues to made new achievements: the world’s first 5600 mm wide and heavy plate roughing mill, independently designed and manufactured by CERI, was deployed in Zhoukou, Henan; it joined forces with Fangchenggang of Liuzhou Steel Group to construct what was then the world’s widest and thickest double-strand straight-arc slab continuous caster, and, together with Zhoukou Iron and Steel, constructed the world’s thickest straight-arc ultra-thick slab continuous caster; in collaboration with Shandong Huixin, it built an internationally leading pickling line and tandem cold mill with the fastest speed, thinnest thickness and highest annual output, taking technological leadership to a new level; together with Guangxi Hongwang, it created China’s first fully independently developed wide high-speed silicon steel pickling line and tandem cold mill , marking a leap from complete reliance on imports to self-reliance in the field of high-end silicon steel core equipment; it partnered with Anshan Zizhu to commission the world’s first continuous casting machine capable of simultaneously producing slab, rectangular billet and heavy-duty special-shaped billet; it collaborated with Longfengshan Casting Industry to build iron-based new material equipment, filling the domestic production gap for 4N high-purity iron in China and providing high-end material support for “critical national asset”, thereby continuously achieving new breakthroughs and making new strides in the field of core equipment. 

CERI participated in the world's first 5600 mm wide and heavy plate "King of Rolling Mills" project for Henan Zhoukou Iron and Steel. 

Global operation, taking China's metallurgical industry to the world  

CERI has transitioned from exporting single products to delivering full industrial chain, and from participating in international competition to leading international cooperation. This shift has not only driven sustained growth in overseas business but also promoted the internationalization of Chinese metallurgical technologies, standards and brands, demonstrating strong capabilities and a positive image on the global stage. 

CERI systematically advances overseas market development by establishing three major overseas bases in West Asia, Southeast Asia and Russian-speaking region. Through resource collaboration and precise services, CERI has promoted the efficient execution of overseas projects and continuously enhanced its market influence. Its overseas market now covers 35 countries and regions worldwide, with a 60% cooperation coverage rate among the world's top 50 steel enterprises. It has achieved a transition from exporting single products to delivering full industrial chain, demonstrating a favorable enterprise image and first-class technical strength across multiple regions and fields. Among them, the Eastern Steel Project in Malaysia, as a representative of cross-border production capacity cooperation in the metallurgical field, was not only reported in CCTV Remarkable Construction, but also won the International Green Supply Chain Management Award, becoming an important case showcasing the comprehensive strength of China's intelligent manufacturing.