According to data from State Grid, the number of online users surpassed 300 million in 2023, with the demand for more intelligent and efficient services emerging as a new requirement. In response, State Grid is constructing China's first provincial-level digital smart grid in Jiangsu, aiming to achieve the seamless integration of trillion-level power big data. This digital smart grid utilizes advanced digital technologies such as industrial Internet of Things, Power Beidou, and artificial intelligence. It has constructed a one-to-one corresponding holographic virtual grid in the digital space, connecting various links such as power sources, power grids, and users. It covers information from over a trillion-level power big data, and changes in the power grid every minute are reflected in real-time in the digital smart grid.

State Grid has stated that in 2024, it will continue to enhance the construction of a smart and robust power grid, promote the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, and advance the commencement of construction for projects like the Aba to Chengdu East UHV (Ultra High Voltage) transmission line. Focusing on applications such as digitalized distribution networks, new energy storage regulation control, and vehicle-grid interaction, State Grid aims to create a batch of smart and robust power grid demonstration projects. The total investment in power grid construction is expected to exceed 500 billion yuan.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, the People's Bank of China, the State Taxation Administration, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, among eight departments, recently jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Transformation and Upgrading of Traditional Manufacturing." The document proposes that by 2027, China's traditional manufacturing industry will significantly elevate its development level in terms of high-end, intelligent, green, and integrated approaches. This enhancement is expected to effectively support the basic stability of the manufacturing industry's proportion in global industrial division and further consolidate and enhance its position and competitiveness.The guiding opinions set targets such as a digitalization rate of over 90% for industrial enterprises' R&D design tools, a CNC rate of over 70% for critical processes, continuous reductions in industrial energy consumption intensity and carbon dioxide emission intensity, and a decrease of approximately 13% in the water usage for every 10,000 yuan of industrial value-added compared to 2023. Additionally, the comprehensive utilization rate of bulk industrial solid waste is targeted to exceed 57%.

On December 19, 2023, the "China Foundry Industry Green Low-carbon Development Seminar" organized by the China Foundry Association and hosted by the China Foundry Association Double Carbon Working Committee was held in Beijing.

This meeting is the first special workshop on energy conservation and carbon reduction in the foundry industry organized by the Double carbon Working Committee of the China Foundry Association after the establishment of the meeting to take the national double carbon policy as the guiding idea, to the green and low-carbon demand of downstream industries such as automobiles, construction machinery as the guidance, to excellent low-carbon cases and carbon reduction technology as the key content, for the delegates pointed out the green and low-carbon development direction. The meeting was a great success with a warm response from the participants.

According to customs data statistics, China's casting exports decreased year-on-year from January to October 2023, with a total export volume of 4.378 million tons under 19 tariff codes, a year-on-year decrease of 5.1%, and a total export volume of 12.94 billion US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 6.3%.

In October, 19 tariff codes exported a total of 428000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 5.4% and a month on month decrease of 5.0%; The export amount was 1.23 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 0.3% and a month on month decrease of 9.7%.

The industry innovation, intelligence, green development, persist in lifting equipment manufacturing industry's support and security role, on September 25, with "Innovation·Intelligence·Green" as the theme "The 8th National Foundry Industry Innovation Development Forum" opened the curtain in Hefei, Anhui. Accompanied by the vigorous rise of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial change, China's foundry industry is accelerating the high-end leap to the global value chain. 

From June 12-16, 2023 (5 days), the world's top metal processing, treatment and casting exhibition with the theme of "The Bright World of Metals" will meet industry insiders at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Center in Germany.

4 sub-exhibitions with different themes will be held concurrently: GIFA 2023 - the 15th International Foundry Trade Fair and Technical Forum; METEC 2023 - the 11th International Metallurgical Trade Fair and World Congress; 

THERMPROCESS 2023 - the 13th International Trade Fair for Thermoprocess Technology; and NEWCAST 2023 - the 6th International Exhibition for Precision Castings.

This grand event will connect various nodes across related industries, presenting professional technologies and values across the entire industrial chain, which is also a globally unique business platform.

According to plans, over 2,200 exhibitors will gather in Halls 3-5 and 9-17 of the Düsseldorf Exhibition Center to showcase foundry technologies, metallurgy, heat treatment processes and cast products.

The 5-day exhibition will be open to trade visitors daily from 9am to 5pm. It is expected to attract around 78,000 buyers worldwide. Düsseldorf will surely garner attention from the global metal and metallurgical industry again with the power of "The Bright World of Metals". 

Announcement on Issuing the National Ecological Environment Standard "Technical Guidelines for Air Pollution Control and Prevention in Foundry Industry" .

In order to implement the “Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China” and the “Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People's Republic of China”, prevent and control environmental pollution, improve ecological environment quality, and promote technological progress in air pollution prevention and control in the foundry industry, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China approved the "Technical Guidelines for Air Pollution Control and Prevention in Foundry Industry" as a national ecological environment standard on March 6, 2023, and issued it. 

2022 China Foundry Industry Output Data Released.

On May 10, 2023, the China Foundry Association released the "2022 China Foundry Industry Data" during the "19th China Foundry Association Annual Conference". Wang Dongsheng, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of the China Foundry Association, announced the data release and provided detailed interpretations.

In 2022, China's total output of various castings was 51.70 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 4.3%. Grey iron output accounted for 41%, down 0.7% slightly; ductile iron output accounted for 28.8%, down 0.7% slightly; steel casting output accounted for 12.3%, basically flat with 2021; aluminum (magnesium) alloy casting output rose from 13.3% in 2021 to 14.6%. 

The 75th World Foundry Congress Scheduled for October 2024 in Deyang, Sichuan.

On the morning of April 18, 2023, Mr. Lou Yanchun, Vice President of the World Foundry Organization and Chairman of the Foundry Branch of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, and Mr. Qing Wei, Vice Mayor of Deyang City, formally signed an agreement in Deyang City, Sichuan Province. The two parties determined that the "75th World Foundry Congress" will be held from October 25-30, 2024 at the Deyang Wende International Convention and Exhibition Center in Deyang City, Sichuan Province.

The "75th World Foundry Congress" is hosted by the World Foundry Organization and undertaken by the World Foundry Organization's official Chinese representative - the Foundry Branch of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society. This is the third time, after the successful 61st (1995, Beijing) and 69th (2010, Hangzhou) World Foundry Congresses, that the Foundry Branch of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society has hosted the World Foundry Congress.

UC Rusal Starts Producing Foundry Alloys PEFA from Scrap Aluminum.

Aluminum giant UC Rusal announced on February 1st that the company has started producing foundry alloys for the automotive industry from scrap aluminum. UC Rusal names the alloy produced PEFA (Primary Equivalent Foundry Alloys), containing 20% scrap aluminum added during the smelting process. This will reduce UC Rusal's carbon emissions by close to twenty percent.

UC Rusal stated that it hopes to increase PEFA production in the second half of the year and raise the scrap usage ratio by thirty percent. The company said this product meets the strategic needs of carbon neutrality, ensuring UC Rusal, its partners and customers actively participate in the circular economy of the automotive industry. According to the company, over 90% of its products are hydroelectric aluminum. It produces over 3 million tons of low-carbon aluminum under the Allow brand each year, and operates multiple R&D centers dedicated to developing new aluminum alloys for use in various fields.