SCIO briefing on development of industry and information technology in H1 2025

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Traditional industries are the focus of manufacturing transformation and upgrading. The State Council executive meeting recently reviewed and approved an action plan for advancing the green and low-carbon development of manufacturing (2025-2027). What work has the MIIT done to promote the green transformation of traditional industries? What steps will be taken to ensure effective implementation? Thank you.

Tao Qing:

Thank you for your questions. Green development forms the foundation for high-quality development in the manufacturing industry, while traditional industries are the focal point of its transformation and upgrading. Not long ago, the State Council executive meeting approved an action plan for advancing the green and low-carbon development of manufacturing (2025-2027), emphasizing that we will advance the in-depth green transformation of traditional industries. We will combine this with the implementation of policies such as large-scale equipment renewal to actively deploy advanced equipment and processes. This approach will accelerate the green transformation and upgrading of key industries.

To implement the requirements of the action plan, we will prioritize the deep green transformation of traditional industries, focusing on four key sectors: steel, non-ferrous metals, petrochemicals and building materials. We will concentrate efforts in four areas — raw materials, energy use, processes and products — to unlock the full potential for green and low-carbon development in traditional industries and promote green growth with enhanced efficiency.

In terms of expanding the use of green raw materials, the focus is on increasing the proportion of recycled resources such as scrap steel, scrap copper, and scrap aluminum in raw materials. We aim to increase their proportions to 22%, 30% and 25%, respectively, by 2027. Using recycled resources as raw materials has significant advantages in energy conservation and carbon reduction compared to primary mineral resources. For example, recycling aluminum requires only 5% to 8% of the energy and generates only about 5% of the greenhouse gas emissions of the greenhouse gas emissions of primary aluminum production.

In terms of expanding the use of green energy, accelerating hydrogen energy adoption in traditional industries is an important direction. Earlier, we jointly issued the Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application of Clean and Low-Carbon Hydrogen in the Industrial Sector with the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration. The plan focuses on the application of clean and low-carbon hydrogen in sectors such as metallurgy, ammonia synthesis, methanol synthesis, and petrochemical refining, accelerating the achievement of large-scale breakthroughs.

To expand the use of green manufacturing processes, our focus is on accelerating R&D into innovative processes for traditional industries. The goal is to remove the bottlenecks hindering green and low-carbon development. Examples include green hydrogen metallurgy and near-zero-carbon electric furnace steelmaking, carbon-free anode technology for aluminum electrolysis, intelligent continuous micro-reactor and green synthesis technologies in the petrochemical industry, and hydrogen or electric calcination processes for large kilns in the building materials sector.

To expand the supply of green products, our efforts will focus on delivering new materials and products with significant green and low-carbon benefits to all sectors of the economy and society. For example, the building materials industry is promoting energy-efficient glass and new types of insulation and wall materials. Meanwhile, the petrochemical industry is promoting the use of water-based coatings, inks and adhesives. Thank you.