Our reporter Zhao Ping reports
"Nickel pig iron is expected to remain the main raw material for stainless steel in 2024."
"At present, the overall utilization rate of domestic stainless steel waste is relatively low, and the recycling system of stainless steel should be improved."
"In the field of steel structure, light weight and high strength is the development direction of stainless steel cold-formed steel."
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On the afternoon of January 23, representatives from the upstream and downstream industry associations of stainless steel and the industry chain gathered in Beijing to discuss and exchange topics such as the application situation of stainless steel in various industries, future demand and development, gather wisdom, build consensus, and seek high-quality development of the stainless steel industry.
Development of stainless steel industry in 2023 and development direction in 2024
"Overall, in 2023, the stainless steel industry has achieved a contrarian development." At the meeting, Zhang Zhifang, executive chairman of the Stainless Steel Branch of the China Iron and Steel Industry Association, introduced the relevant development of the stainless steel industry in 2023.
From the production point of view, in 2023, China's stainless steel production is about 36 million tons (detailed data please pay attention to the China Iron and Steel Association Stainless Steel Branch official micro follow-up release), the world's stainless steel production is about 57 million tons, China's stainless steel production accounted for a record high proportion of the world's stainless steel production.
From the import and export situation, in 2023, China's stainless steel exports of 4.14 million tons, imports of 2.07 million tons. He also reminded that affected by trade barriers, in the long run, China's high export volume of stainless steel is difficult to maintain for a long time, and the future development situation is still grim.
From the perspective of production capacity, at present, China's annual stainless steel production capacity is at the level of 50 million tons, and the utilization rate is about 70%. In 2024, China has determined that the newly invested stainless steel production capacity of about 7 million tons, and the planned investment of stainless steel production capacity of about 6 million tons, a total of 13 million tons. He cautioned that the excess degree of stainless steel capacity in the future may be greater than the degree of steel overcapacity, and the current degree of excess capacity of stainless steel cold rolling and hot rolling is greater than the stainless steel steelmaking capacity.
In this regard, Zhang Zhifang said that the stainless steel industry should continue to improve its own development level, and it will make efforts from the following four aspects in 2024. First, all-round innovation, including stainless steel production process, product application field development, intelligent development, etc. The second is green development, such as working with the upstream industry to calculate the carbon cost of stainless steel and learning from the good practices of other industries to help stainless steel carbon emission reduction. The third is to do a good job of "strong base", the profit level of China's stainless steel enterprises is uneven, to practice "internal skills", and constantly improve the management level, and strive to make China's stainless steel industry large and strong. Fourth, strengthen self-discipline to avoid things that affect the image of the industry.
New "hope" for stainless steel
At the meeting, the delegates introduced the demand and application of stainless steel in their respective industries, and put forward new "hope" for stainless steel.
In the construction industry, the industry currently uses about 6 million tons of stainless steel per year, accounting for about 20% of stainless steel production. There are three requirements for stainless steel in the construction industry. First, it is required to be green and low-carbon. At present, the relevant data on stainless steel carbon emissions are not clear and need to be sorted out, counted and improved. Second, it is required to be economical. At present, the industry uses stainless steel composite plates, but the welding difficulty of stainless steel composite plates is large and the use effect is limited. Third, it is particularly required to have high strength and moderate corrosion resistance. In addition, the industry also hopes to speed up the development of standards such as stainless steel sections.
In the petrochemical industry, the stainless steel required by the industry is basically three categories of plate, pipe, forging, and mostly 300 series stainless steel, but with the transformation and development of the industry to put forward new demand for stainless steel, not only for high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance and other stainless steel performance requirements, especially in the field of fine chemicals, heat exchangers, etc. New demand for stainless steel thermal workability, corrosion resistance and high cost performance.
In the elevator industry, stainless steel in the elevator industry in 2023 has an increase of more than 3 percentage points, and the use potential is very large, but at present, the promotion of high-end products in the industry (made of stainless steel) is difficult, mainly because users do not have a deep understanding of different grades of stainless steel.
In the food packaging industry, food-grade stainless steel in particular has high requirements for corrosion resistance, and the industry has small and frequent purchases of stainless steel, and the current problem is that it cannot get first-hand stainless steel materials.
In the steel pipe industry, the current annual output of stainless steel pipe in China exceeds 3 million tons, accounting for more than 3% (at present, the annual output of steel pipe in China exceeds 99 million tons), mainly used in the civilian field, although the current increase is not very large, but the future development space is very large. Representatives of downstream industry associations such as machinery and steel structures also shared stainless steel related applications.
At the same time, representatives of upstream industry associations such as scrap, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, and ferroalloy have put forward new "hopes" for the green development of stainless steel, including how to evaluate and measure the carbon footprint of stainless steel and whether statistics can be made on the energy-saving benefits of waste stainless steel in production.
In addition, the delegates also said that they will strengthen communication and exchanges with the stainless Steel Branch in many aspects, including improving the stainless steel recycling system, statistics on the price, production, sales and application of waste stainless steel, and including stainless steel related data of non-member units.
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2024 Stainless steel industry chain Symposium reached a consensus --
Demand for stainless steel will continue to grow in 2024
(Reporter Zhao Ping) On the afternoon of January 23, the Stainless Steel Branch of the China Iron and Steel Industry Association held the 2024 stainless steel industry chain seminar in Beijing. The participants agreed that the demand for stainless steel will continue to grow in 2024.
At the meeting, Zhang Zhifang, executive chairman of the Stainless Steel Branch of the China Iron and Steel Industry Association, introduced the relevant development of the stainless steel industry in 2023 and the development direction in 2024, and representatives of the relevant industry associations of stainless steel and the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain introduced the operation of their respective industries in 2023 and the demand and application of stainless steel.
Su Changyong, deputy secretary general of the China Iron and Steel Industry Association, Party secretary and president of the Metallurgical Industry Press, said in his speech that there is still room for growth in stainless steel consumption, and he believes that the current high export volume of stainless steel can be maintained for some time. At the same time, he proposed that the high-quality development of the stainless steel industry should pay attention to the problem of stainless steel overcapacity, raw material supply, stainless steel innovation, stainless steel to change the image of the problem.
Shi Wanli, secretary general of China Ferroalloy Industry Association, also clearly predicted at the meeting that there will be an increase in ferrochrome production in 2024. He also said that affected by the difference in electricity prices between the north and the South, the southern ferroalloy production capacity may be integrated and withdrawn in 3 to 5 years. In addition, the delegates believe that the demand for stainless steel for drainage pipes, photovoltaic brackets, Marine engineering, building roofs, fine chemicals, etc., is gradually increasing, and there is a lot of room for development.
Su Changyong, Zhang Zhifang, Liu Yanping, Secretary-General of Stainless Steel Branch of China Iron and Steel Association, and representatives from China Scrap Steel Application Association, China Steel Structure Association, China Ferroalloy Industry Association, China Nonferrous Metal Industry Association, International Molybdenum Association, International Nickel Association, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Metallurgical Industry Branch, China Environmental Protection Machinery Industry Association, Citic Metal, etc., attended the meeting.
