Another 34 steel firms in China were upgraded last year to achieve ultra-low emissions as the country stepped up efforts to achieve carbon goals, industrial data showed.

These upgrades involved up to 225 million tonnes of steelmaking capacity, according to the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA).

Even in 2021, 11 steel firms completed partial upgrades for ultra-low emission, covering about 84 million tonnes of steel capacity. Meanwhile, 61 firms are under expert review and rectification, the association said.

Chinese steelmakers accelerated green and low-carbon transformation last year, with a considerable reduction in energy consumption and sulfur dioxide emissions per tonne of steel produced, according to the CISA.

He Wenbo, head of the CISA, said the steel industry would seek breakthroughs in areas such as steelmaking technology, product development, and application of new energy amid its low-emission transformation.

China produced about 1.03 billion tonnes of steel last year, down 35 million tonnes from 2020.