2020 APOL Nickel and Stainless Steel Industry Chain Annual Conference
Successfully Concluded
The “2020 APOL Nickel and Stainless Steel Industry Chain Annual Conference,” hosted by the Asian Pacific Organization for Lateritic Nickel Ore (APOL), was held on November 26-27, 2020, at the Sinopec Sunshine Hotel in Shanghai, China. The event was co-organized by Augustus Maritime Co., Ltd. (AMC), Shandong Yaohua Refractory Technology Co., Ltd., and Yingkou Baolong Industrial Co., Ltd., with additional support from Hunan Jinye Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., Inner Mongolia Nashun Equipment Engineering (Group) Co., Ltd., and Xiangyang Zhonghe Electromechanical Technology Co., Ltd. Over 120 lateritic nickel ore smelting enterprises, stainless steel and upstream smelting enterprises from the Asia-Pacific region, and more than 200 representatives and experts registered for the conference. Due to the impact of the pandemic in Shanghai and various local policy controls, over 120 representatives from various enterprises and institutions attended the conference in person.
The conference was jointly chaired by Mr. Steven Jia, Secretary-General of APOL, Mr. Zhou Baoqing, Secretary-General of the APOL Technical Consulting Professional Committee, and Mr. Hua Ke, Executive President of APOL and Deputy Secretary-General of the Technical Consulting Professional Committee. The APOL Council members placed great importance on this annual meeting and provided specific guidance on the organization and content of the conference reports.
Preparations for the annual meeting began in mid-September 2020, and promotional activities commenced in early October 2020, under the guidance of the APOL Council. The conference invited companies from the entire nickel and stainless steel industry chain, including ore supply, raw and auxiliary materials, smelting, trade circulation, steel plant procurement, equipment, logistics and warehousing, and research institutions. The event aimed to establish partnerships, enhance cooperation, and create a platform for information exchange, technical discussions, achievement displays, and business matchmaking.
The conference covered six main areas:
New equipment and processes for intelligent, digital, and automated smelting.
Promotion of the latest achievements in new low-carbon, environmentally friendly facilities, equipment, and materials.
Exchange on the current development status of the hydrometallurgical industry and future development trends in the new energy sector.
Sharing of advanced nickel smelting technologies and production management experiences.
Promotion of green, efficient emission reduction technologies and solid waste treatment processes.
Market development status and outlook for the nickel and stainless steel industry chain.
Conference Opening
At 9:20 AM on November 27, 2020, Mr. Zhou Baoqing, Secretary-General of the APOL Technical Consulting Professional Committee, announced the start of the conference and extended a warm welcome to all entrepreneurs and experts present.
At 9:25 AM, Mr. Steven Jia, Secretary-General of APOL, expressed his gratitude to the leaders, guests, and attendees. He provided an update on APOL’s development and activities, noting that since its establishment in July 2008, APOL has held 16 major conferences, involving numerous core enterprises in the industry chain. APOL’s influence has continuously grown, with over 30 member enterprises currently on the council. APOL regularly holds council meetings to discuss and share important industry information, always maintaining a service-oriented approach towards industry enterprises.
Mr. Steven Jia highlighted that since China began importing nickel ore to produce nickel pig iron in 2005, the cost of the stainless steel industry chain has significantly decreased. Coupled with the rapid growth in domestic stainless steel demand, China experienced a decade of rapid growth in the stainless steel industry from 2006 to 2016, becoming the world’s largest producer of stainless steel and nickel. Following Indonesia’s ban on raw ore exports in January 2014 and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, more Chinese stainless steel and nickel pig iron enterprises have invested abroad, particularly in Indonesia. By 2018, Indonesia had become the world’s second-largest stainless steel producer, and in July 2020, Indonesia’s metal nickel production surpassed China’s for the first time. The rapid rise of Chinese-invested stainless steel, nickel pig iron, and new energy plants in Indonesia has become a new trend. The initial phase of the pandemic brought many challenges to sales and inventory reduction within the industry chain, and disruptions in overseas mining shipments added uncertainty to raw material procurement. However, the effective control of the pandemic in China has brought signs of recovery to the entire industry.
Finally, Mr. Steven Jia introduced Shanghai Augustus Maritime Co., Ltd. (AMC), established in 2009. AMC has focused on serving the stainless steel and nickel pig iron industry chain since its inception, starting with the transportation of nickel ore for Tsingshan, Baosteel, and Sinosteel. As client enterprises have grown, AMC has deepened its services within the stainless steel industry chain, including warehousing, barge transportation, domestic sea freight in Indonesia, raw material and product transportation for Chinese-invested stainless steel and nickel pig iron plants abroad, and the transportation of factory materials such as coke and anthracite for Chinese nickel ore exports. AMC has transported over 120 million tons of cargo and welcomes inquiries from all industry chain enterprises regarding shipping information and needs.
The conference featured 14 entrepreneurs, experts, and scholars who delivered reports and speeches on the following topics:
Exchange on the Current Development Status of the Hydrometallurgical Industry and Future Development Trends in the New Energy Sector
Professor Ma Baozhong from the University of Science and Technology Beijing shared technical achievements on “Advances in Nitric Acid Pressure Leaching Technology for Limonite Laterite Nickel Ore” via remote presentation. He discussed the technical background, development history, leaching and metal separation test research, nitric acid regeneration test research, preliminary economic analysis, and summarized the technical advantages.
Ms. Yu Licheng, Manager at Shanghai Grepow New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., discussed “Nickel Market Demand and Development Opportunities in the New Energy Vehicle Sector,” covering the current development status of new energy electric vehicles, nickel market demand in the new nickel electric vehicle sector, development opportunities, and future outlook.
New Equipment and Processes for Intelligent, Digital, and Automated Smelting
Mr. Wang Qing, Chairman of Anhui Derun Electric Technology Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote speech on “Intelligent Comprehensive Solutions for Nickel Pig Iron Production Enterprises,” discussing the necessity of intelligent factory construction, system architecture, intelligent solutions, and product descriptions.
Promotion of the Latest Achievements in New Low-Carbon, Environmentally Friendly Facilities, Equipment, and Materials
Mr. Wang Xiaodong, Deputy General Manager of Yingkou Baolong Industrial Co., Ltd., shared insights on “Application of Magnesium Refractory Materials in Nickel Pig Iron Submerged Arc Furnaces.”
Mr. Zhang Chenghua, Chairman of Shandong Yaohua Refractory Technology Co., Ltd., discussed “Achieving Rapid Localization Services in Indonesia.”
Mr. Chen Kaihong, Chief Engineer at Xiangyang Zhonghe Electromechanical Technology Co., Ltd., introduced “Characteristics, Selection, and Application of Multi-Channel Burners for Nickel Pig Iron Rotary Kilns.”
Sharing of Advanced Nickel Smelting Technologies and Production Management Experiences
Mr. Cao Ruifeng, Chief Engineer at Nanjing Pankong Microgrid Technology Co., Ltd., discussed “Island Operation Technology for Industrial Smelting Furnaces.”
Professor Zhu Deqing from Central South University shared research on “Multi-Field Synergistic Enhancement of Limonite Laterite Nickel Ore Sintering Process and Mechanism.”
Promotion of Green, Efficient Emission Reduction Technologies and Solid Waste Treatment Processes
Mr. Wang Xiaodong, Co-President of Hunan Jinye Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., discussed “High-Value Utilization of NiCr Hazardous Waste without Waste.”
Market Development Status and Outlook for the Nickel and Stainless Steel Industry Chain
Mr. He Ruying, Senior Advisor at the Zhongguancun Stainless Steel and Special Alloy Innovation Alliance, discussed “New Patterns in the Stainless Steel Industry under New Circumstances.”
Dr. Yang Yongfei from the Chengdu Geological Survey Center of the China Geological Survey analyzed “Potential and Development Status of Lateritic Nickel Ore Resources in Southeast Asia.”
Mr. Du Yan, Vice Chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia, discussed “The Situation of Lateritic Nickel Ore in Indonesia.”
Mr. Dong Hao, Director of the Research Institute at Chaos Ternary Futures Co., Ltd., discussed “Macroeconomic Environment and Nickel Trading Opportunities.”
Ms. Wang Haoyang, Senior Analyst at CRU, presented a report on “Nickel and Chromium Stainless Steel Market Review and 2021 Outlook.”
Conference Closing
The conference concluded at 6:00 PM on November 27, 2020. Mr. Steven Jia, Secretary-General of APOL, delivered the final summary and closing remarks. He highlighted APOL’s achievements over the past decade as a leader in the lateritic nickel ore smelting industry and a convener of related enterprises. APOL has consistently aimed to promote new technologies, establish industry standards, provide the latest industry information, and guide industry development. It has made significant contributions in industry development consulting, industry standard formulation, providing professional and timely knowledge, industry market information services, and facilitating enterprise cooperation.
Special thanks were extended to the co-organizers Shanghai Augustus Maritime Co., Ltd. (AMC), Shandong Yaohua Refractory Technology Co., Ltd., and Yingkou Baolong Industrial Co., Ltd.; and to the supporting organizations Inner Mongolia Nashun Equipment Engineering (Group) Co., Ltd., Hunan Jinye Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., and Xiangyang Zhonghe Electromechanical Technology Co., Ltd. Additional thanks were given to China National Heavy Duty Truck Group International Co., Ltd., Volvo Construction Equipment Investment (China) Co., Ltd., Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., Fujian Baoxiong Industrial Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai NSK Investment (Group) Co., Ltd., Zhongfei Winery, Sinosteel New Jidian, Ningbo Qiantang Nonferrous Metal Products Trading Center Co., Ltd., and all APOL council members, member units, and participating enterprise representatives for their continuous support.
Conference Highlights
1、Conference Registration
2、Welcome Dinner
3、Venue Interactions
4、Thank-You Dinner
We are willing to provide the conference report content and related information of the participants. You can request relevant materials and information from the APOL Secretariat.
