Driven by the “dual carbon” goal, the demand for steel in wind power and photovoltaic (PV) sectors has surged. It is predicted that by 2026, the demand will account for 18% of the total steel demand, with new demand exceeding 20 million tons. The trend of larger wind turbines and PV adaptation to extreme environments has promoted the upgrading of steel to weathering steel and high-strength steel, solving core pain points such as lightweight and long service life.
II. Weathering Steel and High-Strength Steel for Wind Power
(I) Core Performance Parameters
| English: Steel Type | English: Core Grade | English: Key Performance Indicators | English: Applicable Scenarios |
| English: High-Strength Steel for Wind Turbine Towers | English: Q420/Q460/Q690 (A514GrB) | English: Yield strength: 420-1000MPa; Tensile strength: 760-1100MPa; Weight reduction: 15%-22% | English: 15MW+ onshore/offshore wind turbine towers |
| English: Low-Temperature Weathering Steel for Wind Power | English: Q355ND/Q460NE/S355K2 | English: Impact energy ≥47J at -40℃~-50℃; Carbon equivalent ≤0.42%; Lamellar tearing resistance | English: Cold regions and high-altitude wind farms |
| English: Corrosion-Resistant Steel for Offshore Wind Power | English: DH36/EH36/A514GrB | English: Salt spray corrosion ≤0.1mm/a; Seawater corrosion resistance increased by 40% | English: Offshore wind turbine towers and foundation platforms |
(II) Core Technical Highlights
- Lightweight Upgrade: Q690 steel replaces Q355 steel, which can effectively reduce the wall thickness of wind turbine towers by 15%-20% and reduce the carbon footprint by 37%.
- Weathering and Corrosion Resistance: By adding Cr, Ni, Cu and other alloys, the steel can form a dense protective film, which can increase the sandstorm resistance by 50% in desert areas and ensure a service life of more than 30 years in marine salt spray environments.
- Low-Temperature Toughness Breakthrough: The optimized S355K2 steel can increase the impact energy by 40% at -50℃, effectively solving the problem of weld brittle fracture in extremely cold areas.
(III) Application Scenarios Overview
High-strength steel and weathering steel for wind power are widely used in onshore and offshore wind power projects around the world. They are mainly used in key components such as wind turbine towers and foundation platforms, and can adapt to extreme environments such as deserts, cold regions, high altitudes and marine salt spray.
III. Weathering Steel and High-Strength Steel for Photovoltaics
(I) Core Performance Parameters
| English: Steel Type | English: Core Grade | English: Key Performance Indicators | English: Applicable Scenarios |
| English: High-Strength Weathering Steel for PV Supports | English: Q355NH/Q355NH3/B310NH | English: Yield 355MPa; Corrosion grade C; Tensile 470-630MPa; Excellent sandstorm resistance | English: PV supports in deserts/gobi |
| English: Steel for PV Tracking Systems | English: Q235B/Q355B (cold-formed) | English: Excellent cold bending (r/t≥2); Weldable; Lightweight | English: Tracking drives & connectors |
| English: Steel for PV Energy Storage | English: Q460C/SX780 | English: Yield 460-780MPa; Good fatigue/seismic performance | English: Energy storage containers & integrated supports |
(II) Core Technical Highlights
- Weathering Self-Protection: Danxia steel can form a protective rust layer on the surface, which eliminates the need for galvanizing treatment, reduces maintenance costs by 80% and ensures a service life of 30 years.
- Environmental Adaptability: The alloy composition of PV special steel can be customized according to different application environments to enhance weathering and corrosion resistance, adapting to various extreme scenarios such as deserts, gobi and tropical high temperature and humidity areas. 3. Green & Low-Carbon: Adopting electric furnace short-process steelmaking technology, the carbon emission per ton of steel can be reduced by 60%, which complies with the CBAM carbon tariff requirements.
(III) Application Scenarios Overview
PV special weathering steel and high-strength steel are mainly used in PV supports, tracking systems and energy storage containers. They are widely used in global PV projects, especially in harsh environment projects such as desert photovoltaic, gobi photovoltaic and tropical area photovoltaic.
IV. Export Adaptation and Core Foreign Trade Points
(I) Overseas Standards and Certifications
- EU/US Markets: The products need to adapt to ASTM and EN standards, and pass CE, UL certifications and CBAM carbon verification, with carbon emissions 15% lower than the industry average.
- SEA/Middle East Markets: Adapt to DIN and ISO standards, pass SASO, SNI and other local certifications, and give priority to supplying corrosion-resistant and weathering steel.
- Africa/Central Asia Markets: Adapt to GOST and SASO certifications, focusing on supplying low-temperature weathering steel and high-strength steel to meet the needs of local project environments.
(II) Core Foreign Trade Advantages
- Full-Link Delivery: Provide one-stop services including steel customization, processing, packaging and international logistics, adapting to the entire process of overseas new energy project landing.
- Cost Advantage: The electric furnace short-process production reduces the raw material cost by 10%-15%, shortens the delivery cycle by 30%, and the comprehensive cost is 20% lower than similar overseas products.
- Customized Solutions: Adjust the steel composition and performance according to the environmental characteristics and project requirements of different overseas markets to accurately meet customer needs.
