China’s first million-ton near-zero-carbon steel production line began full-capacity operation in Zhanjiang City, south China's Guangdong Province, on Tuesday, marking a major breakthrough for the country's steel industry in advancing low-carbon development.

The production line employs an advanced hydrogen-based reduction and electric smelting process, with hydrogen as the primary fuel replacing traditional coke, significantly cutting carbon emissions.

It offers a novel pathway for China's steel industry to break free from its deep reliance on fossil fuels.

Direct reduced iron produced by the core hydrogen-based vertical furnace achieved the targeted metallization rate. And high-efficiency green facilities like electric furnaces further enhance energy utilization efficiency.

Compared to traditional processes, this new production line reduces carbon emissions by 50 percent to 80 percent.

The hydrogen-based steelmaking technology revolutionizes the conventional energy-intensive and polluting smelting process, making steel production increasingly low-carbon.

"The million-ton near-zero-carbon steel production line reduces carbon emissions by over 3.14 million tons annually, equivalent to restoring 2,000 square kilometers of forest. It provides a model for the low-carbon transformation of steel enterprises and contributes to the high-quality development of the steel industry," said Wang Hongliang, a staff member of the China Baowu Steel Group Corporation Limited.