BEIJING — Another 34 steel firms in China have been upgraded last year to achieve ultra-low emission as the country stepped up efforts to achieve carbon goals, industrial data showed.

These upgrades involved up to 225 million metric tons of steelmaking capacity, according to the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA).

Also in 2021, 11 steel firms have completed partial upgrades for ultra-low emission, covering about 84 million tons of steel capacity. Meanwhile, 61 enterprises are under expert review and rectification, the association said.

Chinese steelmakers have accelerated green and low-carbon transformation last year, with a considerable reduction in energy consumption and sulfur dioxide emissions per ton of steel produced, according to the CISA.

He Wenbo, head of the CISA, said the steel industry will seek breakthroughs in areas such as steelmaking technology, product development, and application of new energy amid its low-emission transformation.

China produced an estimate of 1.03 billion tons of steel last year, down 35 million tons from 2020.