In March 2026, metallurgical companies in China, which are part of the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA), recorded a 2.74% decrease in the total volume of exhaust emissions compared to the same period last year.
This is reported by Finway
Reduction of Air Pollution Levels and Optimization of Energy Consumption
According to the association, emissions of key pollutants in the exhaust gases also decreased. In particular, sulfur dioxide emissions decreased by 16.55% year-on-year, particulate matter by 13.73%, and nitrogen oxides by 12.36%. Overall energy consumption in the country’s metallurgical sector decreased by 4% in March compared to March 2025.
At the same time, the average energy consumption per ton of steel increased by 0.88%, however, the comparative energy consumption per ton of steel decreased by 0.43%. Electricity consumption per ton of steel increased by 3.2%.
Clean Energy Production, Water Use, and Waste Recycling
The total volume of electricity consumed increased by 0.93% year-on-year. On-site electricity generation at enterprises rose by 6.95%, and its share in the energy balance reached 64.99%, which is 3.66 percentage points higher than last year’s figure. Clean energy production increased by 11.11%. Meanwhile, electricity generation from wind installations decreased by 11.95%, while solar energy production, on the contrary, increased by 13.27%.
In March, water consumption by metallurgical enterprises increased by 2.52% year-on-year. Total water intake rose by 0.21%, and water reuse increased by 2.56%. The reuse rate reached 98.45%, which is 0.04 percentage points higher than last year. Water intake per ton of steel increased by 2.29% to 2.34 cubic meters.
“The volume of wastewater increased by 33.5%, however, cyanide and petroleum product emissions in the effluent decreased by 30.91% and 38.93%, respectively.”
The recycling rate of steelmaking slag, blast furnace slag, and iron-containing dust exceeded 97%. Additionally, over 97% utilization was achieved for blast furnace, converter, and coke gases.