Create the steel backbone of the rejuvenation of a strong country

In late autumn, driving into the urban area of Anshan, Liaoning, and reaching the Wuyi Road Overpass, one can see a "forest of steel" from afar, which is the main plant area of Anshan Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Ansteel"). Under the blue sky and white clouds, the towering blast furnaces, the staggered pipelines, and the orderly workshops silently narrate the glory of the years. Within the plant area, real-time rolling digital screens, gushing molten steel, and swiftly moving red steel plates are everywhere brimming with vibrant energy.

Ansteel, as one of the earliest steel production bases established in New China, is honored as the "eldest son of the republic's steel industry." The development and transformation of Ansteel mirror the historic leap of China's steel industry from nothing to existence and from weakness to strength.

At the turn of the year, the newly born People's Republic of China, emerging from the smoke of war, faced a situation where everything needed to be rebuilt. The nation longed for steel, yet at that time, the per capita steel production was insufficient to forge even a single kitchen knife. "When Anshan Iron and Steel Company returned to the hands of the people, it was in a state of utter disrepair," recalled "Steel Second Generation" Zhi Chunshan, who often heard his father recount the past. "The blast furnaces were damaged, the tops overgrown with grass, the machines were rusted, and the warehouses were empty. Some Japanese experts even said, 'This place is only good for growing sorghum.'"

Starting from the ruins with great difficulty, the people of Ansteel relied on their iron will to dig through snow and ice, clear away debris, and the line of people donating steelmaking equipment stretched from the factory area all the way to several miles away. Under the call of the Party Central Committee, nearly 20,000 cadres, technicians, college and technical school graduates, and various skilled workers from all over the country rushed to support the construction of Ansteel.

"Struggle for Industrial China." In the grand opening ceremony of Anshan Iron and Steel Company in the month and year, the congratulatory banner specially sent by the Central Committee inspired generations of Anshan Iron and Steel workers to strive arduously and strengthen our nation.

From 10 million tons in a certain year to 100 million tons in 2021, Ansteel's crude steel production has increased by hundreds of times, firmly securing its position as the second largest in China and the third largest globally; from producing the first seamless steel tube and the first heavy rail in New China, to the widespread application of steel in projects such as the Shenzhou spacecraft, the Jiaolong submersible, the Fuxing high-speed train, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the "eldest son of steel" has been moving forward with the pace of China's development, continuously contributing steel strength.

Entering a new era, China has long bid farewell to its history of lacking steel, with its steel production ranking first globally for many consecutive years. However, for the steel industry, it faces a severe situation of overcapacity and slowing demand. Where to go from here? Ansteel urgently needs to find a new path forward.

Eliminate outdated steel production capacity to make room for the development of advanced capacity; achieve complete separation from multiple factory-run collective enterprises; restructure Benxi Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. to further enhance industrial concentration; dismantle the "big pot" system, deepen reforms in labor, personnel, and distribution systems, and comprehensively enhance enterprise vitality and efficiency... In the new era, Ansteel, with the determination and will to rise like a phoenix from the ashes, boldly adjusts its structure and sets out again with renewed vigor.

"Products and technology are the foundation of a company's survival and development," a significant directive made by President Xi Jinping during his visit to a steel enterprise. The people of Ansteel have kept this in mind and put it into practice, continuously exerting efforts in technological innovation, striving to develop and produce more high-tech, high-value-added new products.

In the month of the year, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway officially began operation, with all the steel rails used coming from Ansteel. "We provided 38,000 tons of steel rails, all of which are 100-meter long fixed-length rails with deviations not exceeding 0.3 millimeters, which is at an internationally leading level," Ansteel's technical personnel told reporters. "Most international railway steel rails are 50 meters in length. The longer the rail, the fewer the welding points, and the more comfortable the riding experience. However, for steel rail manufacturing, the longer the rail, the easier it is to deform, and the higher the requirements for indicators such as flatness and surface smoothness."

Ansteel Group has ten production bases in Northeast China, Southwest China, Southeast China, and South China, with the capacity to produce 10,000 tons of iron, 10,000 tons of steel, 10,000 tons of vanadium products, and 10,000 tons of titanium products. The picture shows the production site of Ansteel's cold-rolled steel plant. Photo provided by Ansteel Group.

Half a century ago, when the country was worried about the steel needed for the construction of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, Ansteel took on the heavy responsibility, diligently developed a new steel grade, which was once hailed as the "steel that makes us proud." Today, Ansteel's ultra-strong marine engineering steel, high-strength automotive steel, high-end nuclear power steel, and a host of other high-precision steel products have repeatedly set new records such as "global first release" and "filling the gap," forging the "steel skeleton" for the nation's construction and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

In the centralized control center of Ansteel's Ironmaking General Plant, colorful numbers and curves on a digital screen over ten meters long are constantly flickering. Behind this screen lies the world's largest integrated smart ironmaking center, where technicians can monitor and adjust production dynamics in real-time from their screens. In Ansteel's Cold Rolling Plant, the Coating and Plating Branch's color coating production line, there is no traditional factory noise and bustle; only robots move flexibly among the machines, with production, handling, storage, and inspection all completed by automated equipment and intelligent robots... It is expected that by the year, Ansteel will have built several intelligent production lines and over a hundred smart manufacturing demonstration factories, with the automation rate of its main production lines reaching 100%.

Stepping into the Ansteel Mining Ecological Park, walking through the lush green lawns, tree-lined paths, and corridors covered with grape vines, it is hard to imagine that what lies beneath was once a barren iron ore waste dump. In recent years, Ansteel has solidly promoted green and low-carbon development, fully utilizing its own idle land, factory roofs, and other resources within its plant area and mines to develop photovoltaic and wind power, driving the development of green electricity; at the same time, it has intensified mine reclamation and transformation, with a cumulative reclamation area of over hectares, achieving a reclamation rate of .%, and the once "desert with blast furnaces" scene is no more, as garden-style factories have sprung up.

Moving towards "new", advancing towards "intelligence", and transforming towards "green", Ansteel strives to make the steel backbone of the Republic even stronger and more resilient.