2023

Guangdong's energy-saving and emission-reduction efforts are off to a strong start in 2013; carbon trading may be launched as early as September.

The Guangdong Provincial Commission of Economy and Information Technology revealed that in the first half of this year, Guangdong's industrial value-added energy consumption dropped by 7.4%, while energy consumption among more than 900 energy-saving and low-carbon enterprises declined by 2.2%. Overall, the province experienced a positive trend in energy conservation throughout 2013.

To implement energy conservation, emission reduction, and circular economy initiatives, the Guangdong Provincial Government has issued documents such as the "Guangdong Province's Plan for Decomposing Energy Consumption Reduction Targets per Unit of GDP During the 12th Five-Year Period," the "Implementation Plan for Decoupling Energy-Saving Tasks Among Key Industries (Departments) during the 12th Five-Year Period," and the "Guangdong Province's Implementation Plan for the 'Ten Thousand Enterprises Energy Conservation and Low-Carbon Action' during the 12th Five-Year Period." These documents break down the province's energy-saving goals to cities at or above the prefecture level, relevant provincial departments, and key enterprises under strict supervision, thereby establishing a province-wide energy-saving target responsibility system that extends "vertically to the grassroots and horizontally to all sectors."

Under the guidance of clear targets and driven by accountability, Guangdong Province's key energy-consuming enterprises and organizations collectively achieved energy savings equivalent to 6.82 million tons of standard coal between 2011 and 2012. Meanwhile, the province phased out outdated production capacities totaling 1.209 million tons of steel, 14.215 million tons of cement, 425,000 kilowatts of small-scale thermal power, 619,300 tons of paper, 1.3 million standard sheets of leather, 322.583 million meters of textiles for dyeing and printing, and 270,000 kVAh of lead-acid batteries. Currently, the province has certified a total of clean-production enterprises capable of annually saving 1.0147 million tons of standard coal, 1.71 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, 161 million tons of water, and reducing wastewater discharge by 79 million tons. The province has also recognized 58 comprehensive

Using the power plant units can also achieve an annual savings of 4.134 million tons of raw coal.

Guangdong is also actively seeking "energy-saving benefits" from its ongoing reforms and development. On one hand, it has established a promotion and application system centered around the contract energy management model, leveraging additional revenue from urban public utilities to fund energy-saving initiatives, with public lighting serving as the initial breakthrough point. The province is now accelerating the rollout of LED lighting products across its entire territory. On the other hand, Guangdong is proactively introducing market mechanisms to drive energy conservation and carbon reduction efforts. In September 2012, the province officially launched a pilot program for carbon emission trading, initially covering 827 enterprises in nine key industries—primarily those involved in high-energy-consuming sectors such as power generation, cement, steel, and ceramics. These companies collectively consume an annual total of 110 million tons of standard coal equivalent, accounting for about 42% of the province’s overall energy consumption and roughly 62.7% of the province’s industrial energy use. This September, Guangdong is expected to kick off primary-market carbon emission trading, with plans to gradually involve investment institutions, other legal entities, and even individuals as active participants in the carbon trading ecosystem.

It is reported that Guangdong will soon introduce specific implementation plans to enhance motor energy efficiency. The plan aims to increase the province's overall motor energy efficiency capacity by 10 million kilowatts by 2015, boosting the efficiency of Guangdong's entire motor system by 5 to 8 percentage points. Additionally, for key energy-consuming industries—such as the injection-molding machinery sector—their motor system efficiency is targeted to improve by 40% to 70%. This initiative is expected to save nearly 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

The paperboard sector outperformed the broader market: This week, the paperboard sector rose by 1.8%, while the CSI 300 Index gained 0.85% over the same period, giving the sector a lead of 0.95 percentage points. Among them, the eight key paperboard companies included in the analysis climbed 2.63%, outpacing the overall market by 1.78 percentage points.

2023

06-27

Guangdong's energy-saving and emission-reduction efforts are off to a strong start in 2013; carbon trading may be launched as early as September.

2023

06-27

International giants are raising prices one after another—domestic prices for titanium dioxide may soon see a turning point.

International titanium dioxide giant Kronos has announced it will raise prices on its titanium dioxide products starting in June, marking the second price hike by a major overseas titan dioxide producer in less than six months. Meanwhile, Vietnam will increase export tariffs on certain mineral products by 10%, effective June 19, raising the export tariff on titanium ore from the current 30% to 40%. Analysts note that, driven by these external factors—including overseas price increases and higher export tariffs on titanium ore—domestically produced titanium dioxide, after undergoing a period of deep adjustment, is now gaining a more competitive pricing advantage. Kronos recently announced that, effective June 1, 2013, it would raise prices for all its titanium dioxide products sold in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. Specifically, prices will increase by at least €200 per tonne in Western Europe and Turkey; by 10 cents per pound in North America; and by $250 per tonne in Eastern Europe, as well as in regions outside North America and Europe. Currently, domestic titanium dioxide prices range from 14,000 to 17,000 yuan per tonne, while international prices hover between $4,000 and $4,400 per tonne. Kronos’ domestic pricing for paint-grade titanium dioxide stands at approximately 21,000 yuan per tonne. Earlier this year, in March, Kronos, along with Huntsman, Koster, and Stone, jointly implemented another round of price hikes, increasing prices by about 10%, or roughly $250 to $300 per tonne. Meanwhile, according to Vietnamese sources, Vietnam will raise export tariffs on select mineral products by 10% starting June 19, pushing titanium ore export duties from the current 30% to 40%. Previously, Vietnam’s ban on titanium ore exports had already triggered a surge in ilmenite concentrate prices, which in turn pushed up the cost of titanium dioxide. Industry insiders point out that a key factor behind Kronos’ price hike is the robust recovery of the U.S. housing market over the past year, leading to a significant surge in demand for paints and coatings—and directly benefiting upstream titanium dioxide producers. According to a report from the National Association of Home Builders, new home construction starts in 2012 are expected to rise nearly 22% compared to 2011 levels. Although China’s real estate investment has shown some signs of contraction in the short term, overall, China remains poised for sustained high growth in infrastructure development, ensuring long-term positive prospects for titanium dioxide demand. Industry experts also note that while the domestic titanium dioxide market previously experienced a situation where global price hikes were met with domestic price declines, the recent string of overseas price increases—such as DuPont’s announcement on May 1st to raise titanium dioxide prices by 200 to 500 yuan per tonne—suggests that the trough in domestic pricing may soon be filled. In fact, there’s even a possibility that prices could shift back into an upward trajectory following May. Yang Xun, a titanium dioxide analyst at Business Society, told reporters that domestic titanium dioxide prices, currently ranging from 14,000 to 17,000 yuan per tonne, are already nearing the cost thresholds for most manufacturers, with only a few large companies still able to maintain operations. Another industry insider added that aligning domestic price increases with the anticipated 10% rise internationally implies room for improved profitability. At present, downstream sectors like real estate and paper production are experiencing slower growth, placing the overall titanium dioxide market in a bottom-finding phase. However, supported by rising costs, further downward pressure on prices is unlikely to persist for long.

2023

06-27

The EU achieves a major breakthrough in innovative super-surface coating technology.

It is understood that the breakthrough in innovative technology lies in harnessing an incredibly thin layer of polysaccharides—carbohydrates that bind a specific number of sugar molecules. Depending on the demands of particular applications, these polysaccharides are either bonded to or embedded within a variety of distinct biological and mineral-based nanomaterials, giving rise to a new class of polymer composite materials.