SMM Copper Summit: Copper plate, strip industry to focus on intelligent, green manufacturing

YINGTAN, Mar 29 (SMM) – Domestic producers of copper plate and strip should pursue smart and green manufacturing and focus on the fundamental research to improve products’ quality, said Zhang Yujie, deputy chief engineer of China Nonferrous Metals Processing Technology (CNPT).

Speaking to delegates at the SMM Copper Summit on Friday March 29 in Yingtan, Jiangxi province, Zhang believed that quality, safety, and environmental protection are three essential requirements in green manufacturing for copper plate and strip companies. 

Producers should strive for effective use of secondary materials and adopt more energy-conserving processes and equipment, he added. 

China’s production of copper plate and strip increased to 2.85 million mt in 2018, from 300,000 mt in 2001, he cited data from the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association. During the same period, domestic apparent consumption rose at an annual rate of 11.13%, to 2.94 million mt in 2018, compared with 430,000 mt in 2001. 

Imports of copper plate and strip started to drop after 2005 after it rose to a high of 280,000 mt, and slid to some 130,000 mt last year. China’s yearly exports of the products hovered around 30,000-50,000 mt, Zhang said. 

He added that large domestic copper plate, strip projects constructed by state-owned firms are usually designed with a capacity greater than 100,000 mt/year, while those by private firms have an annualised capacity above 30,000 mt.