The UK government is reportedly preparing for the full nationalization of British Steel as negotiations with its owner, Jingye Group, over a £600 million support package for transitioning to Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) have stalled. The move aims to safeguard the Scunthorpe plant’s 3-million-metric-ton (mt) annual capacity and roughly 4,000 jobs. A transition to EAFs would replace the existing blast furnaces, significantly reducing carbon emissions but requiring massive capital expenditure. If nationalized, the state-led management could stabilize the domestic supply of long products for UK infrastructure, though it may lead to a temporary reduction in output during the technological overhaul, tightening regional supply in the medium term.

【SMM Steel】British Steel is expected to be fully nationalized within weeks. The UK government took over operations from China's Jingye Group in April 2025 to prevent the Scunthorpe plant's closure. Steel has been designated a national security industry. The Scunthorpe plant has the UK's last two blast furnaces. Operating costs hit £377m by Jan 2026. British Steel supports nationalization for stability. Any new owner must invest heavily in EAF technology to replace blast furnaces.

【SMM Steel】Jingye Group's Hot Rolled Coil Division recently completed the trial rolling of X42M line pipe steel. This product features high strength, good weldability, corrosion resistance, and excellent low-temperature impact toughness, making it suitable for oil and gas pipelines, marine engineering, and construction applications. By precisely controlling key process parameters such as heating, rolling temperature, finishing entry temperature, cooling, and coiling, the technical challenge of balancing high strength with low-temperature toughness was effectively addressed. This successful trial further enriches Jingye Group's portfolio of high value-added steel products and robustly supports its product structure upgrading efforts.

Foreign media reported that China and the United States plan to participate in the investment of the Atlantic Africa Pipeline Project, which has a total value of US$25 billion. Originally known as the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project, the project reached a significant turning point in 2025, attracting increasing attention from the international community. During the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) held in Washington, Nigerian Finance Minister Olawale Edun stated, "Given China's vast natural gas reserves, the US side is focusing on investments in Nigeria's natural gas sector, particularly in the Nigeria-Morocco pipeline." Jingye Group, a Chinese industrial giant, has announced its participation in the project through its UK subsidiary, Jingye UK Steel, and will supply steel for the pipeline construction.

According to Jingye Group, Jingye Yingkou Medium Plate recently received an order for extra-thick and extra-wide EH40 high-strength ship plates and successfully achieved mass production. The successful development of extra-thick and extra-wide EH40 high-strength ship plates marks a new breakthrough for Yingkou Medium Plate in the manufacturing of TMCP high-strength ship plates, accumulating valuable experience for the subsequent R&D of similar high-end ship plates.

Jingye Group's High-Grade Steel Technology Successfully Produces DC56D+Z Deep Drawing Steel Recently, the No. 4 galvanizing unit of Jingye Group's High-Grade Steel Technology Company successfully produced DC56D+Z deep drawing steel, which not only expanded the range of orders but also enhanced the market competitiveness of high-grade cold-rolled steel products. DC56D+Z is a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet for stamping, featuring excellent formability and corrosion resistance. It is widely applicable in various industries such as automotive, home appliances, and construction, with significant market demand and broad market prospects. To ensure the smooth production of DC56D+Z deep drawing steel, the Group's Technology Research Center, the High-Grade Steel Technology Research Department, and the production workshop jointly discussed and formulated a production plan. During the production process, parameters such as annealing temperature, finishing rolling force, and elongation were continuously adjusted, ultimately successfully producing a product with a yield strength of 140 MPa, accumulating valuable experience for subsequent normal production.

According to Jingye Group, recently, the finishing line of the HRC division of Jingye Group successfully rolled a new variety of acid-resistant steel, 09CrCuSb. Due to its excellent corrosion resistance, high tensile strength, and hardness, 09CrCuSb maintains good performance even in high-temperature environments. It is widely used in industries such as chemical, petroleum, pharmaceutical, and food, making it an ideal material for manufacturing various equipment and pipelines, especially suitable for harsh environments with high acidity and humidity. The new HRC product will expand new consumer markets and may alleviate the sales resistance of Jingye Steel.

Recently, the hot rolling line of the HRC division of Jingye Group successfully rolled a new variety of acid-resistant steel, 09CrCuSb, providing strong support to meet customer demands. Due to its excellent corrosion resistance, high tensile strength, and hardness, 09CrCuSb maintains good performance even in high-temperature environments. It is widely used in industries such as chemical, petroleum, pharmaceutical, and food, making it an ideal material for manufacturing various equipment and pipelines, especially suitable for harsh environments with high acidity and humidity.

On March 1, Anyang Steel Group announced its registration and establishment as Henan Steel Group, following the Henan Provincial Party Committee and Government's plan, with a registered capital of 20 billion yuan.

Both the State Council and the Ministry of Industry have indicated that by 2025, China's top ten steel producers will hold 60-70% of industry capacity.