Metallurgy / Chemicals / Rubber & Plastics

Recently, a worker at a chemical plant in Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region asked for help on the Internet: The Ordos Electric Power Bureau has frequently blacked out recently, even several times a day, at most 9 times a day. The power outage causes the calcium carbide furnace to stop, which will cause the lime kiln to frequently start and stop the kiln due to insufficient gas supply, and increase the safety hazards in links such as ignition operations. Due to repeated power failures, sometimes the calcium carbide furnace can only be manipulated manually. Previously, there was an unstable temperature in a calcium carbide furnace, and the robot was burnt down after the calcium carbide was sprayed out. If it was a manual operation at that time, the consequences would be disastrous.

For the chemical industry, if there is a sudden power outage and furnace shutdown, there is a great safety risk in low-load operation. A person in charge of the Inner Mongolia Chlor-Alkali Association said: Repeated power outages will make it difficult for the calcium carbide furnace to stop and resume production, and it is easy to cause safety hazards. In addition, the PVC production process supporting the calcium carbide enterprise belongs to the first-class load. Repeated power outages may induce chlorine leakage accidents, and the entire production system and personal safety accidents that may be caused by the chlorine leakage accidents cannot be assessed. As the above-mentioned chemical plant workers said, frequent power cuts "cannot be done without work, and there is no guarantee of safety."

Intensify! More than a dozen provinces, cities and regions issued "restrictions"!

According to the Coatings Purchasing Network, occasional power outages are acceptable, but frequent power outages like this year are indeed unusual. In addition to the Ordos region of Inner Mongolia mentioned above, more than a dozen provinces, cities, and regions including Henan, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Ningxia, etc. have also successively carried out peak-shifting power consumption operations. The local aluminum, metal, chemical and other industries have been affected. Has different degrees of impact.

Qinghai: A warning for power rationing is issued, and the scope of power rationing continues to expand

On August 20th, some electrolytic aluminum enterprises in Qinghai Province received a power restriction warning notice from Xining, State Grid, which mentioned that due to the low inflow of water from the upper reaches of the Yellow River this year, the insufficient output of thermal power generators and the shortage of external power, the power supply and demand of Xining grid was caused. Imbalance, remind companies to make preparations for orderly use of electricity in advance. At present, the specific curtailment time and curtailment plan have not been notified.

Ningxia: High-energy-consuming enterprises stop production for one month

It is required to intensify energy-saving supervision in the industrial sector, strictly implement the tiered electricity price and differential electricity price policy, resolutely investigate and deal with illegal energy use and the inadequate implementation of the electricity price policy, and strictly implement the main responsibility of the enterprise. Ningxia Wuzhong requires some high-energy-consuming enterprises to stop production for one month, and adjust at any time based on the company's energy-saving diagnostic evaluation and the completion of the city's industrial energy consumption target.

Yunnan: Two rounds of power rationing have been carried out, and the follow-up will continue to increase

Two rounds of electricity curtailment actions have been carried out in Yunnan this year, and zinc and tin smelters have received notices requesting a 25% reduction in electricity consumption. Due to insufficient power supply, some silicon plants in Baoshan, Yunnan received a power curtailment notice. According to SMM, Baoshan has built a total of 32 industrial silicon furnaces. The power limitation affected 3 furnaces in the early morning of August 10th. As of now, Baoshan has been affected by three power curtailments. A total of 9 furnaces were shut down.

The Barometer for the Completion of Dual Control of Energy Consumption in Various Regions in the First Half of 2021, issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, shows that in the first half of 2021, the energy consumption intensity of 9 provinces (regions) including Yunnan and Xinjiang has risen from the same period last year. According to the control requirements, Yunnan will further increase the power limit in the future under the condition of limited power production in the previous period.

Guangxi: require industrial and commercial enterprises to use electricity in an orderly manner, and actively use electricity to shift and avoid peaks

The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region People’s Government’s portal website issued a notice on strengthening power conservation, requiring all power-using industrial and commercial enterprises to scientifically and rationally arrange production plans based on their own production characteristics, formulate and strictly implement an orderly power use plan, and take the initiative to avoid peak shifts. Peak electricity. By shifting peak production and shifting holidays, we will make full use of weekends and nights to arrange production, strive for peak shifts without reducing production, and minimize the impact of power shortage on enterprise production.

Hunan: Orderly use of electricity during the summer peak season

According to the spirit of "Huaihua City’s 2021 Peak Summer Power Demand Response and Orderly Utilization Work Plan" (Huaigongxinfa [2021] No. 25), Hongjiang District will implement orderly utilization from August 3, 2021. Electricity:

The urban landscape and lighting projects of Xinmin Road and the ancient shopping mall will be closed during the evening peak period (19:30-23:30);

Except for Xinmin Road and Wushui Road, the street lights on other road sections will be semi-closed during the evening rush hour;

For party and government agencies and public institutions in the region, the air-conditioning control temperature shall not be lower than 26 degrees Celsius.

Sichuan: Suspend non-essential production, lighting, and office loads

It is recommended that industrial customers suspend non-essential production, lighting, and office loads, and actively cooperate with local governments and power supply companies to adjust production and operating arrangements to avoid peak hours as much as possible to allow electricity to the people.

Henan: Some processing companies have limited power for more than three weeks

Some aluminum processing enterprises in Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Henan Province received a notice from the Electric Power Bureau of their jurisdiction that large industrial enterprises have limited power to 50% depending on the situation, and all industrial enterprises below ten kilovolts will stop production. The current power curtailment is expected to be three weeks or more.

Chongqing: Some factories cut off electricity in early August

A person in charge of aluminum processing said that at 2 o'clock in the morning on August 3, an emergency notice was given to suspend production, and the company had to arrange a break early in the morning. In addition, production requires a large number of industrial kilns, and it takes time to increase and decrease the temperature, and the impact of electricity curtailment is great, and even equipment is damaged.

Zhejiang: From July to September, the factory will be arranged for centralized inspection and repair, and the power limit will be 20% of the first quarter

Zhejiang Hangzhou guides enterprises to carry out peak staggering and avoiding peaks in an orderly manner, and strictly and orderly implement procedures for electricity use. When electricity peaks come and electricity use becomes tight, it organizes a group of high energy consumption and high pollution enterprises to arrange centralized maintenance from July to September. , The power limit is 20% of the first quarter.

Inner Mongolia: Strictly control the time limit of power supply for enterprises, and the price of electricity should not rise by more than 10%

Starting from August, the Mengxi area will be restricted from 7 to 10 pm every night. The transaction price of coal-fired power generation in the electricity trading market can rise no more than 10% (upper limit is per kilowatt) based on the benchmark price (0.2829 yuan per kilowatt hour). Time 0.3112 yuan).

Electricity restriction = production restriction, severely affected industries such as industry and chemical industry

Since the second half of the year, the growth rate of electricity consumption in many provinces in China has exceeded 17%. Affected by the excessively high power load, coupled with the impact of typhoons and floods, many cities have adopted mitigation measures such as reducing power load, power outages and repairs, and raising power prices. Some industrial manufacturing and chemical companies have to stop production and limit production, and their production operations have also been reduced. Received the corresponding impact.

A factory in Xinxiang, Henan reported that all the production load of the factory was completely shut down, and only the electricity for lighting was retained. The curtailment period is expected to be 7-10 days.

A factory in Hunan stated that after receiving the notice of power restriction, only 50% of the load of the original transformer will be provided from 10:30 to 23:00, reminding companies in the park with greater demand for electricity to arrange for peak power consumption to avoid temporary power outages due to insufficient load. The business causes losses.

An enterprise in Guangdong Province stated that it was notified that it would implement staggered power consumption on the 24th, and the expected load is tight, so the company is requested to strictly implement it.

The Guzhen area of Guangdong noticed that the power curtailment measures of “five start and stop two” will be implemented, and power production will be stopped from 7:00 to 23:00, and only 10% of the total reported installed capacity will be reserved for security power.

The titanium dioxide plants in Guangxi took the initiative to adjust production cuts to reduce regional power consumption. According to their own scales, each plant reduced production by 30-50%. This round of production cuts will last for one month. Currently affected by local power restrictions, the Guangxi region requires alumina reduction capacity of 1.1 million tons. Considering the reduction of electrolytic aluminum production capacity in Guangxi region is 410,000 tons, the monthly demand for alumina will be reduced by about 70,000 tons.

In Inner Mongolia, Huade, Bayannaoer, Fengzhen and many other enterprises were unable to produce normally, and many alloy enterprises issued announcements on production reductions, and the supply was halved, and production was on the verge of suspension.

Fertilizer companies in Henan Province are experiencing electricity shortages and coal transportation, and they are unable to maintain normal production at all. In Henan Province, Jinshan Chemical and Zhongyuan Chemical, etc., were affected by power restrictions and floods, and the operating rate fell below 70%. The Nanzhao Mine in Henan Province has stopped production and limited electricity, and a large number of calcium powder companies have difficulty shipping.

"Coal madness" is repeatedly staged, power plants are under great pressure, and the chemical industry is being tested

The term "switching on the power supply" has returned to the public's field of vision, which inevitably makes people feel a little weird. However, since the beginning of this year, more than a dozen provinces, cities and regions in my country have ceased production restrictions, and the intensity is greater than in the past. To explore the reasons, industry insiders believe that there is an inseparable connection with the supply of coal. From the perspective of my country's energy structure, China's thermal power generation exceeds 70%, and hydropower, nuclear power and wind power add up to less than 20%. Hydropower in the southwest coincides with the dry season, and the lack of water makes the supply of hydropower unavailable. Then all the new electricity demand will flood into thermal power, and the price of coal is very important at this time.

However, recently came another frightening news. Due to the latest regulations at Ganqimaodu Port requiring traceability of nucleic acid testing drivers, the port has suspended the import of coal and is temporarily closed for about two weeks. As an important importer of domestic metallurgical coal, Mongolia has recently accelerated the spread of the new crown epidemic, and the main domestic Mongolian coal import ports have suspended imports, which has aroused great concern in the market.

As soon as the news came out, the domestic futures market, the coal "three brothers" had a strong daily limit! The main thermal coal futures contract ZC201 surged 8.00%, the main coke futures contract j2201 surged 7.99%, and the main coking coal futures contract jm2201 surged 7.98%. Coal stocks rose sharply, Shanxi Coking Coal closed its daily limit, and Shanxi Coal International, Pingdingshan Coal, Lanhua Science and Technology, and Yunmei Energy rose more than 6%. The price of coal at the producing area has also begun to rise, and 19 coal mines in the producing area have raised their coal prices (some of which have raised their prices more than once), with an average increase of 30-50 yuan/ton. At present, the price of 6000 kcal low-sulfur coal in Yuyang District has reached 980~1000 yuan/ton.

The Jinjiuyinshi has come, and the coal demand of industrial production enterprises has begun to increase. The superimposed epidemic has affected the arrival of imported coal and the amount of imported coal has not been as expected. The coal price of the production area is still showing strong, which has played a role in fueling the power curtailment. At present, Jiangsu, Anhui and many other places have implemented new peak electricity prices and have carried out price increases. In the future, more areas may be affected. Then the chemical companies are greeted by limited power and production, which will affect the operating rate and increase the difficulty of business operations. The second is the rise in electricity prices, coal prices, and coke prices, and the increase in product costs makes it more difficult to make profits. On the whole, from the third quarter to the first quarter of next year's coal peak season, the dilemma of chemical companies may continue.