From the drive motors of new energy vehicles to the joint components of humanoid robots, from LNG transport ships sailing in the deep sea to the C919 aircraft soaring in the blue sky, since 2026, batches of domestically produced high-end steel have successively broken through the technological ceiling and become the core material base supporting the landing of China's new quality productivity. The high-end leap of the steel industry is transforming from paper planning to vivid practice in various fields of industry.

Autonomous acceleration of materials for sea, land, and air scenarios

In the field of electrical steel, the 0.1mm level non oriented electrical steel loss index has entered the top tier in the world, and its products have covered the top ten global car companies. In China, one out of every three new energy vehicles is equipped with a motor core made of it, which is specially customized for robot joint motors with high magnetic induction and low iron loss electrical steel, accurately adapting to the strict requirements of high torque density and low heat generation.

The demand for high-end steel in the shipbuilding industry has risen synchronously with the outbreak of orders. In the first half of the year, the number of new ship orders received nationwide increased by 173.1% year-on-year, accounting for over 80% of the global market share. Ansteel's high-end ship plate production line is operating at full capacity, and orders for some scarce varieties have been scheduled until 2029. The core LNG ship, Yinwa Steel, has successfully broken the decades long technological monopoly overseas and achieved comprehensive independent and controllable -163 ℃ ultra-low temperature rolling technology. In the aerospace industry, Yinwa steel, which has a thermal expansion coefficient only one tenth of traditional steel, has been successfully applied to C919 composite forming molds, laying a solid material foundation for domestic large aircraft.

The steel industry is accelerating its transition towards new and green industries

The rapid expansion of downstream high-end manufacturing directly drives the continuous optimization of the product structure of the steel industry. In the first half of the year, the growth rate of high-tech manufacturing industry reached 13.3%, and the output of industrial robots increased by 28% year-on-year. The strong demand for high-end materials has driven the continuous penetration of first release steel products into nuclear power, precision electronics and other fields. This year, 7 core steel products have achieved global first release, and China has led the development of 15 international standards for the steel industry, establishing a leading position in China's low-carbon transformation, high-end materials and other fields.

Under the guidance of policies such as the stable growth plan for the steel industry and the new capacity replacement measures, the entire industry is accelerating the elimination of inefficient production capacity and upgrading towards high-end, intelligent, and green directions by reducing and improving quality. From precision steel as thin as cicada wings to special ship plates that can withstand extreme cold in the deep sea, domestic steel has long bid farewell to the label of being large but not strong, and is providing the most solid material support for China's high-end manufacturing full chain independent controllability.Editor/Cheng Liting