China to Enhance Efforts in Implementing Secondary Metals-Related Policies

 

Implementation of some existing policies pertaining to secondary metals industry will be strengthened, including construction of “urban mineral” processing demonstration bases, upgrade of secondary metals recycling parks, establishment of scrap recycling regime, incentive for energy efficient companies, reward for eliminating outdated capacities, treatment of scrap electronics, and enforcement of the Entrance Requirements for Secondary Metals Industry.

 

The rapid development of secondary metals sector and improving technology required enrichment of categories of imported scrap metals. As such, policies related to scrap metal imports should be revised along with technical advances, such as treatment of dust resulting from steelmaking, slag left by nonferrous metals smelting, scrap home appliance, scrap metal from aerospace sector, and hard alloy scrap. 

 

Despite significant progresses seen in China’s secondary metals industry in terms of industry scale, technologies and regulations, there is a large gap compared with the industry in developed countries. 

 

Zhang Xizhong, deputy secretary to the Secondary Lead Branch, said the emission standards for secondary copper, secondary aluminum, secondary lead, and secondary zinc sectors will be released by the end of the year.

 

China’s secondary copper producers witnessed fiercer competition in 2012 given the global economic downturn, forcing some to cut or cease production. With release of the first group of copper smelters targeted to eliminate inefficient capacity, unqualified capacities will be removed or upgraded, also helping with the consolidation of the sector. 

 

The rapid growth of secondary copper sector helped ease the tightness of copper ore resources used for producing primary copper, and enabled the sector to make remarkable progress in emission cut and energy saving. Secondary copper production might save 2.9 million tce of energy, 1.088 billion m3 of water, and reduce emission of 1.045 billion mt of solid waste compared with producing the same amount of primary copper in 2012.

 

The Secondary Metal Branch proposed in its report that tax rebate policy for secondary lead producers should be retained so as to improve scrap lead recycling system. Besides, the government is suggested to increase financial supports to recycling parks approved and backbone enterprises in secondary lead sector.

 

SME secondary lead producers should gain larger support for investment and financing, and financing services for SME secondary lead producers need to be improved. 

 

Secondary lead producers, by using scrap battery, might save 920,000 tce in energy and 330 million m3 of water, and cut solid waste emission by 180 million mt, as well as reducing emission of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide by 42,000 mt and 4.2 million mt, respectively, compared with developing the same amount of lead concentrate. 

 

In addition, 7,500 tce of energy and 235 m3 of water should be saved for secondary lead production than producing the same volume of primary lead, with emission of solid waste down 128 mt, and that of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide falling by 0.03 mt and 3 mt. 

 

Secondary lead accounts for over 60% of total lead supply in developed nations, while the number in China is only 30%, but is expected to exceed 40% by 2015.

 

According to the Plan for Promoting Development of Secondary Metals Industry issued by the Ministry of Industry & Information Technology, the Ministry of Science & Technology, and the Ministry of Finance, China’s secondary lead output will surpass 2.5 million mt by 2015, contributing to more than 40% of the total lead output.