# Summary: China’s Million-Ton Hydrogen Steel Plant Goes Into Full Production
China has successfully launched the world’s first full-scale hydrogen-based steel production line in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province. Operated by Baowu Steel, the facility became fully operational on December 23, 2025.
**Key Technical Features:**
– Uses hydrogen instead of traditional coke as the reducing agent
– Employs a million-tonne hydrogen-based shaft furnace producing direct reduced iron
– Processes material through high-efficiency green electric furnaces
– Reduces carbon emissions by 50-80% compared to conventional blast furnaces
**Environmental Impact:**
– Prevents over 3.46 million tons of annual carbon emissions
– Equivalent to creating approximately 2,000 square kilometers of forest
**Strategic Significance:**
– Represents a major transition from coal-heavy to low-emission steel production
– Positions China to avoid international carbon tariffs (like the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism)
– Produces high-grade steel for automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors
– Aligns with China’s 14th Five-Year Plan green transformation goals (126 new green steel plants certified 2021-2024)
The facility marks a significant industrial-scale shift toward decarbonizing one of the world’s most emissions-intensive industries.
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# Summary: China’s Million-Ton Hydrogen Steel Plant Goes Into Full Production
China has successfully launched the world’s first full-scale hydrogen-based steel production line in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province. Operated by Baowu Steel, the facility became fully operational on December 23, 2025.
**Key Technical Features:**
– Uses hydrogen instead of traditional coke as the reducing agent
– Employs a million-tonne hydrogen-based shaft furnace producing direct reduced iron
– Processes material through high-efficiency green electric furnaces
– Reduces carbon emissions by 50-80% compared to conventional blast furnaces
**Environmental Impact:**
– Prevents over 3.46 million tons of annual carbon emissions
– Equivalent to creating approximately 2,000 square kilometers of forest
**Strategic Significance:**
– Represents a major transition from coal-heavy to low-emission steel production
– Positions China to avoid international carbon tariffs (like the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism)
– Produces high-grade steel for automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors
– Aligns with China’s 14th Five-Year Plan green transformation goals (126 new green steel plants certified 2021-2024)
The facility marks a significant industrial-scale shift toward decarbonizing one of the world’s most emissions-intensive industries.