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How should the hardware abrasives industry face environmental protection policy?
**Abstract**
The screening of the furnace is just one signal. A week after the conclusion of the 18th National Congress, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced that it had "released the regulations on the 'Several Opinions on Promoting the Healthy Development of the Refractory Industry (Draft for Comments)'." In the "final draft," it was clearly stated that refractory materials must be strictly controlled, energy conservation and emission reduction must be vigorously promoted, outdated production capacity should be eliminated, and mergers and reorganizations should be encouraged to optimize the industrial structure, improve industry concentration, enhance planning benefits, strengthen independent innovation, and accelerate technological transformation. The goal is to protect the ecological environment and promote the development of high-quality industries.
In the process of screening outdated production capacity, fixed furnaces used for brown fused alumina and white corundum will be targeted. Specifically, brown fused alumina melting furnaces with transformer power below 4000 kVA and white corundum melting furnaces with transformer power below 3150 kVA will be phased out. This move signals a broader shift in policy toward stricter environmental regulation and sustainable industrial growth.
I have spoken with several economic analysts about environmental issues in the abrasives industry. Liang Zhihong, chief engineer at Shandong Luxin High-tech Industry Co., Ltd., believes that investors who previously profited from cheap power, resources, and labor will no longer hold an advantage. The government is increasingly focusing on environmentally friendly policies, and support for emerging industries like environmental protection and high-end manufacturing is expected to grow. In short, abrasive companies must prioritize environmental compliance now or risk being forced out of the market. The proposal for "ecological civilization" at the 18th National Congress reflects this growing emphasis on sustainability.
From an ecological perspective, the abrasives industry has long been a high-energy, high-pollution sector. In recent years, the rapid growth of small and medium-sized enterprises has led to the widespread use of outdated equipment and inefficient technologies, resulting in severe environmental degradation. The situation has become unsustainable, prompting the government to intensify its environmental enforcement efforts. Policies are now being applied more strictly across various industries and regions, including the abrasives sector. These tighter regulations are not only inevitable but may soon determine whether some companies can survive or not.
Starting from the second half of 2011, many abrasive companies in Shandong, Henan, and Guizhou were forced to halt operations due to land acquisition, unified planning, and environmental cleanup initiatives. These actions serve as early warning signals that the government may adopt a more forceful approach to ecological governance in the future.
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Following the release of the "Final Draft," the Abrasives Branch of the China Machine Tool Industry Association held a "White Corundum Key Company Symposium" on December 6, inviting domestic abrasive companies to discuss the new regulations. Dai Chijun, director of the Abrasives Professional Committee, emphasized that in 2005, the government had already begun phasing out fixed furnaces used for white corundum with transformer power below 3150 kVA. At that time, most white corundum producers in China were small-scale and met the standards. Through the combined efforts of the association and companies, the government eventually revised the policy before implementation. This time, the "final draft" extends the screening of outdated equipment to the entire abrasive industry, signaling an irreversible trend toward industrial restructuring and professionalization.
Zhao Gansheng, general manager of the Bailu Abrasives Marketing Center, noted that the government’s final draft aims to control overcapacity in the white corundum industry and promote its healthy development. However, the technical feasibility of achieving this goal remains questionable. For some manufacturers, large furnaces are not economically efficient, and controlling production processes is challenging. Meanwhile, smaller furnaces are better suited for producing specialized products. Therefore, simply using transformer capacity as a criterion to judge production efficiency is not entirely appropriate. Currently, there is no clear evidence that large furnaces outperform small ones in terms of technical or economic indicators.
Liang Zhihong, chief engineer at Shandong Luxin High-tech Industrial Co., Ltd., also raised concerns during the meeting, arguing that it is inappropriate to screen all fixed furnaces. He suggested that the government should take into account the unique characteristics and importance of certain abrasive materials, such as white corundum. With the advancement of technology, new white corundum products—like alloy corundum—are emerging. Although their production volume is small, they are crucial for sectors like aerospace. These advanced materials cannot be produced in large furnaces and require small-scale production. Additionally, he pointed out that many domestic white corundum companies face technical challenges, particularly due to high sodium oxide content in local raw materials. Using fixed furnaces helps remove impurities and improves product quality.