China has officially commenced full-capacity operation of its first million-tonne near-zero-carbon steel production line in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, marking a breakthrough in the steel industry's green, low-carbon transition, state media CCTV reported.

Launched by Baoshan Iron and Steel, the listed arm of China Baowu Steel Group, this production line uses hydrogen-based reduction and electric smelting, replacing traditional coke to cut carbon emissions and providing a brand-new path for the sector to get rid of its deep dependence on traditional fossil fuels.

Designed for an annual output capacity of 1.8 million tonnes, the production line is projected to reduce carbon emissions by 50-80% compared with traditional processes via blast furnaces. That translates to an annual emission reduction of more than 3.14 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to creating 2,000 square kilometers of forest.

The project is in line with the country's 14th "Five-Year Plan" (2021-2025). Between 2021 and 2024, 126 new green steel plants were certified in China.