China’s supreme upstream-ironmaking central control centre opened at Rizhao Steel

In 2024, CISDI created the largest full-process Smart Factory for Rizhao Steel in China’s Shandong Province.

It boasts high integration levels and covers the highest number of production lines in China.

Based on the CISDigital® industrial internet platform, a supremely integrated framework has been composed, encompassing ironmaking and its upstream, plus steelmaking, continuous casting and rolling, management and control sections.

The plant’s production, operations and management are accommodated at the centre, achieving the following tech breakthroughs:

●       China’s largest and most complicated material tracking system was created. It has optimised the stockyard’s raw material logistics management and laid a solid foundation for refining upstream ironmaking’s production management.

●       Sectoral advanced scheduling tech has enabled smart decision-making for steelmaking, casting, rolling and cold-state delivery scheduling, and ensured accurate product quality control.

●       A smart energy scheduling model is coupled with power and gas production and consumption. This was China’s first closed-loop control model for coal and gas-fired power generation and gas holder units. It has implemented real-time tracking and analysis of energy consumption, carbon emissions and footprints throughout the production process.

●       A smart equipment management system has been established to perform smart spot-checking and automatic diagnosis. It has achieved transparent, efficient management and smart operation of equipment where a heavy-duty, intensified production is required.

At Rizhao Steel’s ironmaking and upstream areas, the CISDigital® platform collects over 500,000 data points, and holds 200-plus smart control and optimisation models. It acts as a powerful ‘steel brain’, automatically generating over 600 reports and enabling intensive operations at over 100 posts, implementing smart operational control and production decision-making.

Zenith Nantong’s AI+5G driverless battery electric locomotive - a global first

The world of steel’s first iSmartONE smart hot metal transport system went operational at Zenith Nantong in China’s Jiangsu Province in September 2024.

The system features massive applications of CISAI Tech’s artificial intelligence, plus a 5G driverless, battery electric locomotive.

The locomotive’s average loading capacity is 180 tonnes and its maximum load is 230 tonnes.

Empowered by AI + 5G tech, the transport system has met all requirements for full-process, all-factor production information integration and integrated management at the plant.

Outstanding results include:

●       A higher hot metal transportation turnover rate

●       Reduction in the temperature drop of hot metal

●       Smart operation processes have optimised the workforce

●       Substantially-reduced production costs.

CISDI created world’s highest standards of gas power generation and thermal efficiency for Lianyuan Steel

World-beating results are being achieved from a 150MW ultra-high-temperature, ultra-high-pressure gas power generator built by CISDI Thermal and Environmental Engineering Co.

It went on grid at Lianyuan Steel in China’s Hunan Province in July 2024.

The power-generating facilities comprise of one 502-tonne per hour UHT, a UHP gas boiler, one 165MW condensing steam turbine featuring an intermediate primary reheat process, a 180MW power generator and auxiliaries.

State-of-the-art, ultra supercritical gas power-generating tech has achieved plant-wide thermal efficiency of 45.3 per cent - the world’s highest for a power generator of this kind.

Construction and on-grid generation took only 12 months, setting a steel sector record in China.

Annual electricity generation is expected to be 14 x10⁸ kilowatts, the direct economic benefit of which should amount to USD116 million.

The power generator will enhance the utilisation efficiency of Lianyuan Steel’s byproduct of gas resources.