Tangshan to shut some blast furnaces as air quality worsens

SHANGHAI, Apr 16 (SMM) – Some steelmakers in the top steelmaking hub of Tangshan has been required to shut some blast furnaces as air quality in the city worsened, SMM learned.

On Thursday, Guoyi Special Steel and Tanggang Stainless Steel in Guye district and Jing’an Steel in Fengnan district received the notice from authorities to shut blast furnaces. Guye district is in the centre of Tangshan, and is bordered by Fengnan to the southwest.

Guoyi is ordered to suspend a 600m³ furnace, while Jing’an is required to close a 1080m³ furnace.

Tangshan issued its air pollution control plan for April at the end of March, but steelmakers in the city did not comply with the production curbs.

Under the air pollution control plan for April, Guoyi, Tanggang Stainless and Jing’an are required to cut capacity of their sintering and pelletising machines and blast furnaces by at least 50%.

According to data traced by China's Ecology and Environment, Tangshan ranked the ninth worst on air quality among 168 Chinese cities.