Jinan Haoyang Launches “City Mine” Plan: Recycling 50,000 Tons of Scrap Steel Annually to Help Green Smart Manufacturing
Program background and implementation
1. Resource Dilemma
China produces more than 200 million tons of scrap steel every year, of which only 30% is efficiently utilized. Jinan Haoyang invested 20 million RMB to build an intelligent sorting center, which uses spectral analysis technology to accurately separate alloy components and increase the reuse rate of scrap steel to 92%.
2. Community collaboration networks
- Convenient Recycling Points: Recycling stations have been set up in 12 communities in Jinan, where residents can make appointments for door-to-door recycling through a WeChat app and receive environmental points for daily necessities.
- University-Enterprise Cooperation: Co-established a laboratory with Shandong University's School of Materials to develop a low-energy melting process that reduces carbon emissions by 35% compared to the traditional process.
Milestones
- Environmental benefits: Recycling and processing 43,000 tons of steel scrap in 2024, equivalent to reducing iron ore mining by 160,000 tons and saving 21,000 tons of standard coal
- Community impact: Accumulated donation of 3,000 sets of protective equipment to sanitation workers, creating 127 recycled resource sorting positions
- Product Upgrade: Recycled steel balls passed SGS certification, and the gap between wear resistance and virgin material products was reduced to <5%.
Cooperation case: “Second life” of retired automobile steel
In May 2024, Jinan Haoyang reached a strategic cooperation with Shandong Huada Automobile Dismantling Company to transform bearing steel and gear steel from end-of-life automobiles into Ø80mm forged balls, and the first batch of regenerated products has been shipped to a Chilean copper mining company.
“This is more economically efficient than landfill disposal, with the cost per ton reduced by 18%.” General Manager of Huada said.
Targets for the next three years
1. Expand sorting centers in Qingdao and Zhengzhou to increase annual processing capacity to 150,000 tons
2. Develop a traceability system for steel scrap, and record the recycling path of each batch of material on block chain.
3. Open up the technical standards of recycled steel balls to the industry to promote the green transformation of the whole industrial chain.
“A true industrial civilization must coexist with nature.” Mr. Chen, Chairman of Jinan Haoyang, emphasized at the launching ceremony.
