China Baowu has set up the Low-Carbon MetallurgyInnovationFundsince2021, which provides RMB 35 million annually mainly to the fundamental and applied funda⁃ mental research of low-carbon metallurgy, promoting green and low-carbon develop⁃ ment.The 2024 Project Guideline of China Baowu Low-Carbon Metallurgy Innovation Fund has been be released at the Global Low-Carbon Metallurgical Innovation Forum on October 23,2024.

The Low-Carbon Metallurgy Innovation Fund(hereinafter referred to as the Low-Car⁃ bon Fund),established by China Baowu,aims to focus on the green and low-carbon metal⁃ lurgical processes and technologies,subsidize the fundamental and applied fundamental re⁃ search of low-carbon metallurgy and the ex⁃ ploration,major innovations and practices of low-carbon metallurgical processes and tech⁃ nologies,and support the progress in low-car⁃ bon metallurgy technologies and industrial transformation and upgrading.

In September 2024,China Baowu Low-Car⁃ bon Metallurgy Innovation Center(hereinafter referred to as the Low-Carbon Center)started to compile the 2024 Project Guideline of the Low-Carbon Fund.It collected opinions from all sectors of society on the project guideline, receiving 111 suggestions in total.After expert evaluation,10 guideline directions have been finally determined and has been released on the Global Low-Carbon Metallurgy Innova⁃ tion Forum 2024 on October 23.

This year’s project guideline focuses on areas like the green raw material of low-carbon metallurgy,low-carbon fuel,biomass energy, comprehensive utilization of metallurgical re⁃ sources,and carbon capture,utilization and storage(CCUS).It encourages the fundamen⁃ tal and applied fundamental research of new materials,new products,new technologies, and new processes in steel and related fields.

In the meantime,in response to the call of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC)to strengthen the cultivation and utilization of young scientific and technological talents,China Baowu will continue to set up"youth projects"in this year's low-carbon fund project guide.The Youth Program focus⁃

es on the fundamental and applied fundamental research of low-carbon metallurgy,and its top⁃ ics are not subject to the directions in the proj⁃ ect guideline.Only young people under 35 years old are qualified for application.Aiming to encourage young scientific and technologi⁃ cal talents to shoulder the responsibility and take the lead,the Youth Program guides young people to pay close attention to the national carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategy and the demands of the steel industry and to contribute wisdom to achieving the carbon neutrality goal of the steel industry.

The 2024 Low-Carbon Fund will accept ap⁃ plications from 8:00 a.m.on 1 December, 2024 to 17:00 p.m.on 31 December,2024（Beijing Standard Time）.

China Baowu Low-Carbon Metallurgy Inno⁃ vation Fund is administered by the Low-Car⁃ bon Metallurgy Innovation Center of China Baowu Steel Group Corporation.According to the Guidelines for Application and Manage⁃ ment of China Baowu Low Carbon Metallur⁃ gical Innovation Fund Projects,project appli⁃ cants and supporting units should ensure that the project application materials,evaluation process,and operation process after receiving funding comply with scientific research integri⁃ ty,academic norms,and ethical requirements. For projects that engage in research miscon⁃ duct,if the project is in the application or re⁃ view stage,China Baowu has the right to with⁃ draw the project application;If the project is currently being implemented or has already been completed,China Baowu has the right to revoke the original funding decision and recov⁃ er the allocated funds.The final interpretation of the investigation and handling opinions on academicmisconductbelongstoChina Baowu,and social supervision is welcome.

The project guideline and application method are listed as follows:

I.2024 Project Guidelines of China Baowu Low-Carbon Metallurgy Innovation Fund

1.Research on Green Charging Technolo⁃ gy for Ironmaking

◆Development of zero carbon block making technology for non fossil energy sources

◆Analysis of Smelting Behavior of Low Car⁃ bon Metallurgical Furnace Materials

2.Research on Electric Melting Separa⁃ tion Technology

◆Research on Melting and Separating Tech⁃ nology of Medium and Low Grade Metal Fur⁃ nace Materials

◆Research on Electric Melting Slag Separa⁃ tion System

◆Research on Quality Control Technology of Molten Iron

3.Research on Electric Heating Technolo⁃ gy in Metallurgical Processes

◆Research on electric heating block making technology for iron ore

◆Research on Electric Heating Coking Technology

◆Development of high-temperature(1000-1400℃)electric heating technology for fur⁃ nace materials

◆Research on electric heating technology for steel billets and intermediate materials

4.Research on Fluidized Hydrogen Re⁃ duction Technology

◆Research on fluidized reduction pretreat⁃ ment technology for iron ore powder

◆Research on the Bonding Mechanism and Inhibition Technology of Iron Ore Powder

◆Research on Energy Efficiency Optimiza⁃ tion Technology for Fluidized Reduction of

Iron Ore Powder

5.Research on Collaborative Disposal of Solid Waste and Carbon Reduction Tech⁃ nology in Metallurgical Processes

◆Efficient recycling technology for iron,car⁃ bon,and hydrogen resources in steel plants

◆Urban organic waste resource utilization technology

6.Research on Fossil Fuel Reduction Technology in Ironmaking Process

◆Pre treatment technology for improving the efficiency of fossil fuel utilization

◆The ultimate utilization technology of fos⁃ sil energy in the smelting process

7.Research on Carbon Reduction Tech⁃ nology of Steel Making Process with Agri⁃ culture and Forestry Biomass

◆Research on High Efficiency,Low Con⁃ sumption,and Quality Improvement of Agri⁃ cultural and Forestry Biomass,as well as High Value Utilization Technology of By products

◆Research on Efficient Use of High Quality Biochar Technology in Steel Smelting Processes 8.Research on the Technology of Smelt⁃ ing High Grade Steel from Whole Scrap Steel in Electric Furnace

◆Research on Purity Control Technology of Molten Steel in Electric Furnace Smelting Process

◆Research on Purity Control Technology of Refining Steel Outside the Furnace

9.Research on the Technology of Produc⁃ ing Bulk High Value Chemicals from Steel

Source CO2

◆Research on integrated technology of CO2 capture and conversion from steel sources

◆Development of process technology for producing high-value bulk chemicals(aromat⁃ ics/olefins,etc.)from steel source CO2

10.Projects for young researchers

◆Research direction is the fundamental and applied fundamental research of low-carbon metallurgy

◆Topics are not subject to the directions in the project guideline

◆All members of the project team shall be born after January 1,1990.

II.Project Application and Contact Information

1.Applicants can download the“Project Appli⁃ cation and Management Guideline of China Baowu Low-Carbon Metallurgy Innovation Fund”and the“Project Application for China Baowu Low-Carbon Metallurgy Innovation Fund”from the official website of BAOWU OPEN INNOVATION at http://rd.baosteel. com/

2.Application submission method:Log in the BAOWU OPEN INNOVATION，register personal account and submit project applica⁃ tion materials in the Low Carbon Fund sec⁃ tion.Website:http://rd.baosteel.com/

3.Opening time of the low-carbon fund proj⁃ ect application system(Beijing Standard Time): From 8:00 a.m.on 1 December,2024 to 17: 00 p.m.on 31 December,2024.The system will shut down and applications will no longer be accepted after the deadline.

4.Contact Person:Lu Zhengdong

5.Tel:021-26641446

Note:Please note that,in principle,research that has been funded by the guidelines in the previous three years will not be funded by the Low-Carbon Fund.

China Baowu Steel Group Corporation will select and fund the outstanding projects according to the application and evaluation.