Action Plan for Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutralization in Coking Industry

The website of China Coking Industry Association released the "Coking industryCarbon peakCarbon neutralityAction Plan. The "Plan" proposes that the coking industry achieves carbon peak by 2025. By 2025, the production of coking wastewater will be reduced by 30%, and the production of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide will be reduced by 20% respectively; the penetration rate of energy control centers will reach more than 50%; the application of full-process information control system will reach more than 50%, and intelligent manufacturing will make breakthroughs in the coking industry; and measures such as ultra-low emission transformation of enterprises in key regional areas and improving the efficiency of energy conservation and consumption reduction.

The Plan clearly states that by taking effective technical and management measures, the ability to reduce carbon by 30% by 2035. Achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

Action Plan for Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutralization in Coking Industry

On September 22, 2020, General Secretary Xi announced to the international community at the general debate of the 75th United Nations General Assembly that China will increase its national independent contribution and adopt more powerful policies and measures, strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, and strive to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. On September 22, 2021, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Complete, Accurate and Comprehensive Implementing the New Development Concept to Do a Good Job in Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality". Fully implement the strategic deployment of carbon peak and carbon neutrality proposed by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and complete the established goals as scheduled. The coking industry is responsible for shouldering the heavy responsibility and facing new challenges.

1. Deeply understand the great significance of implementing the national "dual carbon" goal

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Complete, Accurate and Comprehensive Implementing the New Development Concept to Do a Good Job in Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality", which put forward the main goals: By 2025, a green, low-carbon, circular economic system will be initially formed, and the energy utilization efficiency of key industries will be greatly improved. Energy consumption per unit of GDP decreased by 13.5% in 2020; carbon dioxide emission per unit of GDP decreased by 18% compared with 2020; the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption reached about 20%; forest coverage rate reached 24.1%, and forest stock reached 18 billion cubic meters, laying a solid foundation for achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality.

By 2030, the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development will achieve remarkable results, and the energy utilization efficiency of key energy-consuming industries will reach the international advanced level. Energy consumption per unit of GDP decreased significantly; carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP decreased by more than 65% compared with 2005; the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption reached about 25%, the total installed capacity of wind power and 2 solar power generation reached more than 1.2 billion kilowatts; the forest coverage rate reached about 25%, the forest stock reached 19 billion cubic meters, the carbon dioxide emissions reached a peak and achieved a steady decline.

By 2060, a green, low-carbon, circular development economic system and a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system will be fully established, energy utilization efficiency will reach the international advanced level, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption will reach more than 80%, the carbon neutrality goal will be successfully achieved, the construction of ecological civilization will achieve fruitful results, and a new realm of harmonious coexistence between man and nature will be created.

On December 28, 2021, the State Council issued the "Comprehensive Work Plan for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction in the 14th Five-Year Plan", which clarified the main goals of my country's energy conservation and emission reduction during the 14th Five-Year Plan period: by 2025, the national energy consumption per unit of GDP will decrease by 13.5% compared with 2020, the total energy consumption will be reasonably controlled, and the total emissions of chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds will decrease by 8%, 8%, 10%, and 10% respectively compared with 2020.

On October 21, 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Energy Administration issued the "Several Opinions on Strict Energy Efficiency Constraints to Promote Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in Key Areas", and attached the "Action Plan for Strict Energy Efficiency Constraints in Key Metallurgy and Construction Materials Key Industries to Promote Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction (2021-2025)". The introduction of the "Action Plan" has raised the constraints on enterprise energy efficiency levels to a new level.

On October 29, 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission and 10 other departments issued the "National Clean Production Implementation Plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan", and the plan proposed to vigorously promote clean and low-carbon transformation in key industries. In the steel, coking, building materials, non-ferrous metals, petrochemical and chemical industries, 100 enterprises were selected to implement the construction of clean production transformation projects, and promote a number of key enterprises to reach the international leading level of clean production.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Complete, Accurate and Comprehensive Implementing the New Development Concept to Do a Good Job in Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality", Article 37 clearly stipulates: Strict supervision and assessment. "All regions should include carbon peak and carbon neutrality-related indicators in the comprehensive evaluation system of economic and social development, increase the assessment weight, and strengthen indicator constraints. Strengthen the assessment of the implementation of carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals and tasks, and give commendations and rewards to regions, units and individuals with outstanding work in accordance with regulations. Regions and departments that have not completed the target tasks shall be criticized and interviewed and held accountable in accordance with regulations and laws. The relevant implementation shall be included in the central ecological environment protection inspection. The implementation of each region and relevant departments shall report to the Party Central Committee and the State Council every year."

Faced with the new situation and tasks, the coking bank business must deeply realize that achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality is a major strategic decision made by the Party Central Committee to coordinate the international and domestic situations and the overall economic and social development, promote high-quality economic development, and build a modern socialist country. It is related to the sustainable development of the Chinese nation and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. It will cause a broad and profound systematic revolution in production, consumption, energy and technology, and then reshape the industry and even the economic and social development pattern. In order to effectively promote the implementation of the "dual carbon" goal of my country's coking industry, and in combination with the current development status and trends of my country's coking industry, comprehensively consider the main goals proposed in the "Outline of the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development Plan of the Coking Industry", the "Action Plan for Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutralization of the Coking Industry" was specially formulated. Coking enterprises should check item by item in accordance with the quantitative indicators stipulated by the state and locally, formulate specific planning measures as soon as possible, take the initiative to achieve the target requirements on time.

2. Current status of carbon emissions in China's coking industry

(I) Current status of coking industry in China

Coking is a process industry that converts coal into metallurgical fuels and chemical raw materials. It is an important part of the steel industry and the coal chemical industry. Especially in the long process of blast furnace + converter, coking plays an indispensable and important role. The coking industry has become an important industry for clean and efficient utilization of coal with mature coal conversion technology, highest resource and energy utilization efficiency, low carbon emissions and less water consumption, and is an effective way to achieve carbon sequestration cycle. According to statistics, as of the end of 2021, there were 351 enterprises in production nationwide, with a metallurgical coke capacity of 537 million tons and a semi-coke (lant carbon) production capacity of 110 million tons, totaling 647 million tons. For many years, my country has been a major producer, consumer and trading country in the world. In 2021, coke production was 464 million tons, accounting for more than 68% of the world's coke production, and exported 6.45 million tons of coke.

(II) Coking carbon emission analysis

1. Coking carbon emission form

Coking production uses coking coal as raw material, coal gas as fuel, coke as products, and by-products of coke oven gas, coal tar, crude benzene, etc. The energy input and output is large, making it a typical energy conversion industry. Its carbon emissions include accounting for carbon dioxide emissions generated by fossil fuel combustion within the boundary, carbon dioxide emissions from production processes such as coking (including coking quenching) and flue gas desulfurization, and carbon dioxide emissions corresponding to electricity and heat purchased and output by enterprises.

2. National Coking CO 2 Emission Estimation

Accounting scope: Consistent with the "Energy Consumption Limit for Coke Unit Products" (GB 21342) and "Energy Consumption Limit for Lanchang Unit Products" (GB 29995), including coal tar processing and benzene purification, without gas deep processing.

Currently, the national coking CO2 emissions are estimated to be 150 million to 155 million t/a. (The accurate calculation method for carbon emissions in the future is calculated according to the new standards officially released by the country) 3. Carbon peak and carbon neutrality target of coking industry

Step 1: Achieve carbon peak in 2025

The State Council's "Comprehensive Work Plan for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction in the 14th Five-Year Plan" requires that coal consumption in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei and the surrounding areas and the Yangtze River Delta region decline by about 10% and 5%, respectively, and coal consumption in the Fenwei Plain achieves negative growth.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Steel Industry" requires the steel industry to ensure that carbon peak is reached by 2030.

The "Action Plan for Carbon Peak and Carbon Reduction in the Steel Industry" clearly states that the steel industry ensures carbon peak by 2025.

The "Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Coking Industry" proposes: by 2025, the production of coking wastewater will be reduced by 30%, and the production of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide will be reduced by 20% respectively; the penetration rate of energy control centers will reach more than 50%; the application of full-process information management and control systems will reach more than 50%, and intelligent manufacturing will make breakthroughs in the coking industry; and measures such as ultra-low emission transformation of enterprises in key regional areas and improving the efficiency of energy conservation and consumption reduction.

In accordance with the above development requirements and development trends, the coking industry will achieve carbon peak by 2025.

Step 2: Strive to reduce carbon by 30% in 2035

By adopting effective technical and management measures, we will have the ability to reduce carbon by 30% by 2035.

Step 3: Achieve carbon neutrality by 2060

4. Carbon emission reduction path for coking industry

(I) Coke production capacity and output reduction

With the significant increase in scrap steel consumption and the widespread application of hydrogen metallurgy technology, the demand for coke in steel and related industries will decrease, and coke production will gradually decline.

(II) Coking production

The carbon reduction paths of coking production include:

1. Extreme energy saving and energy efficiency improvement

Coking enterprises should promote and apply advanced energy-saving and consumption-reducing technologies in the entire production and operation process and in all aspects, and continuously improve the level of coking process equipment; accelerate the application of the digital economy in the intelligent production process of coking; improve and perfect the energy efficiency evaluation and energy control system, and improve the rational allocation and use efficiency of energy.

2. Energy substitution

Use low-carbon fuels to coke; develop oxygen-rich combustion technology; and gradually promote the application of distributed photovoltaics and clean energy.

3. Coordinated disposal of renewable resources

(III) Coking products

From the perspective of the entire life cycle, the research and development of new coking products supporting low-carbon metallurgy to achieve carbon emission reduction are:

1. Energy raw material replacement: high-strength and high-reactive coke required for developing hydrogen-rich blast furnaces.

2. Process transformation: Provide low-cost, low-carbon, hydrogen-rich reduction gas or hydrogen to hydrogen to hydrogen metallurgy (gas-based direct reduction, hydrogen-rich blast furnace) on a large scale, provide synthesis gas to the chemical industry, and provide high-purity hydrogen to the new energy industry.

(IV) Carbon capture and utilization

Actively promote the industrialization and scale of carbon dioxide capture and resource utilization technology (CCU), and promote and apply the tempered co-production solidification technology.

5. Action measures for carbon peak and carbon neutrality in the coking industry

(I) Strictly control the new production capacity of coking

Seriously implement the industrial policies of the national and local governments, strictly control the newly added coke production capacity, and guide the orderly exit of inefficient production capacity.

(II) Coordinated research on energy-saving and carbon reduction technology

Coordinate the short-term "dual carbon" planning goals, promote the establishment of an innovation ecosystem with collaborative interaction between various innovation entities in the industry, academia, research and application, and efficient allocation of innovative factors such as talents, funds, platforms, mechanisms, etc., and enhance the industry's continuous R&D capabilities of green and low-carbon original technologies; use the rapid development of intelligent manufacturing technology and the digital economy to accelerate the breakthrough capabilities of key technologies in the industry; strengthen information communication, and actively pay attention to the development and application trends of new carbon reduction processes, new technologies, new equipment, and new materials in the industry; continue to track the progress of carbon reduction technology in related industries to benefit reference.

(III) Strengthen the construction of basic system

Optimize the process flow structure, fully implement energy control, and actively promote the transformation and upgrading of the industry's green, low-carbon, ultra-low emissions. Improve and perfect the measurement, monitoring and statistics of basic data such as energy and carbon emissions of coking enterprises, and strictly implement the energy utilization status reporting and evaluation system. Strengthen the leadership of low-carbon development plans, promote the formulation of low-carbon technical standards, and encourage enterprises to actively participate in carbon emission market transactions.

(IV) Strengthen communication and coordination with the government

Pay attention to and implement the "dual carbon" goals and requirements of governments at all levels, actively seek policy support, especially financial support, increase investment in industrial structure upgrading and technological innovation, and promote the industry's green and low-carbon transformation.

(V) Gather the strength of the industry

Give full play to the role of the Expert Committee of the China Coking Industry Association and various professional committees, as well as national, provincial and municipal technical centers and laboratories, share innovative resources, and strengthen the application research of common technologies in the industry. Coking production enterprises should actively participate in industrial experiments on the research and development of green and low-carbon technologies, actively cultivate low-carbon demonstration enterprises, and form a leading and promoting role in the industry's carbon reduction. The Office of the Coking Industry Low-Carbon Development Cooperation Alliance should promptly collect and publish information on the development and application of relevant technologies and equipment for low-carbon development at home and abroad, and successful demonstration cases, to avoid wasting resource investment caused by information asymmetry.

(VI) Strengthen the training and construction of talent team

Actively participate in "dual carbon" special seminars, personnel training and other activities organized by the state, local governments, industry associations and professional institutions, and establish a team of professional and technical and management talents at different levels and high-quality job operators to effectively support the R&D quality and project operation and management level of carbon reduction technology in the entire industry.