Chapter 984 The Steel Industry of the First Five-Year Plan
“Since the end of the 19th century, the steel industry has undergone major changes because of technological progress, which has led to major changes in the production structure and location of the steel industry because of efficiency. As the demand for coal in the steel industry decreases, the leading industrial factor in the steel industry shifts from coal to For iron ore. ”
“And because of the influence of transportation and market factors, the entire steel industry should make major changes. Take transportation as an example, the railway network is initially taking shape, and the development of highways and internal combustion engine vehicles , which allows more resources to interact in the inland areas of the country, a typical example is the development of the steel industry in New Frankfurt City , almost all of its raw materials and energy come from other regions, and there are neither iron ore nor coal mines or other basic resources for industrial development. "
"Marine transportation and inland water transportation have also greatly changed East Africa's current industry. pattern, with the progress of the times, technology continues to improve, ships are being built larger and larger, and more and more cargo is hauled, pushing It has promoted the industrial development of coastal and inland water transport hub areas, such as Mwanza in the Great Lakes region and various coastal cities in East Africa.”
“Going back to what I said before, the demand for coking coal in the steel industry has declined. The cost of transportation has also dropped, which will inevitably have an impact on my country’s traditional steel industry pattern. ”
"Therefore, the task requirements for improving my country's steel industry during the First Five-Year Plan should also be adjusted accordingly. On the one hand, it should be adapted to local conditions, focusing on iron ore producing areas as the main construction direction. On the other hand, it should be transportation and market-oriented and more reasonable. Laying out my country’s steel industry”
In the 19th century and beyond. At present, the steel industry is mainly based on coal resources as the dominant location factor. Typical examples are local coal mining in the United Kingdom, which has helped the United Kingdom become the world's first industrial country, the Northeast Industrial Area of the United States, the Ruhr Area of Germany, and the industry of Matabele Province in East Africa. District and Lake Malawi Industrial Zone, etc., most of the steel industry is built near coal mining areas.
The early technological immaturity led to the steel industry's inefficient use of coal and the large demand for coal. As a result, if the steel industry is not built near coal mines, transportation costs will be high.
After the mid-19th century, the steel industry ushered in a technological revolution. With the promotion and application of new technologies such as the Thomas steelmaking method, the steel industry ushered in major changes. dependence has shrunk significantly.
In other words, even if a steel plant is not built in a coal producing area, but in a railway producing area, the cost is already equivalent or even lower.
"So starting from 1900, our country's steel industry will focus on the construction of the steel industry in central and southern Angola in western Angola, the northern part of Southwest Province, Tete Province in Mozambique, the Lake Malawi Industrial Zone, and promote the provinces of Bohemia, Lorraine, Industrial upgrading of traditional steel industry areas such as Hanseatic Province (northeast of South Africa and southwestern coast of Mozambique)”
East Africa’s iron ore resources are relatively evenly distributed across the country, but the main reserves are still in the central and southern regions, and are closely related to East Africa. The main producing areas of coal mines overlap, which means that heavy industrial areas such as Bohemia Province (Zimbabwe) will still maintain their dominant position in the traditional steel industry.
Tete Province in Mozambique is special. As a post-development area in East Africa, the local iron ore and coal resources are relatively rich. At the same time, it is located on the south shore of Lake Malawi and belongs to the same country as Mbeya City in the north. Ravi Lake Industrial Area.
Central-south Angola and the northern part of Southwest Province, which is the area bordering Namibia and Angola in the previous life, are mainly rich in iron ore resources. However, due to transportation and climate reasons, the development focus of its steel industry is definitely biased towards the Angola side. That is, within the province of Letania.
“Before the end of 1905, our country’s steel production exceeded at least five million tons, three new steel production bases were built, and four new large-scale state-owned steel companies were built, namely the Tete Province Steel Factory No. 1 and No. 2 Steel Factory. Letania Province Steel Plant No. 1, Maputo City Steel Plant, and reconstruction and expansion projects for existing steel industries, including Mbeya, Harare, Bulawayo, New Hamburg Port, Mombasa, Da The steel industry in Es Salaam and other areas.”
Maputo City is close to the New Hamburg Port City, a city with a strong steel industry. It can make full use of coal, steel and other resources in the South African plateau area, and has outstanding maritime transportation advantages.
Tete Province is even more remarkable. It has significant resource advantages and is located between the Lake Malawi Industrial Zone and the Bohemian Industrial Zone. With the Colimane Railway in Taipei The construction of the special provincial section has been completed, and it is close to the Zambezi River. With comprehensive advantages such as geography, transportation, water resources, and society, it ranks first among the newly planned steel industry bases in East Africa. Therefore, the East African government plans to invest in two large state-owned steel companies in Tete Province at once. After all, relying on the two most developed heavy industry regions in East Africa, it is difficult to succeed.
In contrast, the East African government is more cautious in investing in the steel industry in Letania Province. It is far away from the traditional industrial zone of East Africa and is relatively lacking in personnel and technology. It is not easy to undertake industrial transfer, and the development time is late, so the province's industrial base is relatively weak.
Leitania Province is one of the four provinces of Angola. The early construction of Angola in East Africa focused on coastal cities such as Cabinda and Luanda, so it is difficult to develop the steel industry in Letania Province. It is the most difficult of the three preset new steel industry bases.
Not to mention other things, the transportation conditions alone are far inferior to those of Tete Province and Maputo City. Tete Province is on the East African railway trunk line, and the Maputo City Railway has been completed long ago. It is the first in East Africa to be built and put into use in Mozambique. On the other hand, the province of Letania, as the southernmost part of Angola, has no other railway lines except the Atlantic Coast Railway.
However, the Atlantic Coast Railway passes through the Letania Province area, which is not an iron ore producing area. Therefore, if the Letania Province Steel Plant is to be built and put into operation, a lot of effort must be made in transportation.
Of course, compared to other regions, the conditions in Letania Province are already quite good. After all, many places do not even have iron ore or coal resources, and do not have the basic conditions for investment in the steel industry.
In addition to the above three new steel industry bases, East Africa will build a number of inland or coastal small and medium-sized steel companies during the First Five-Year Plan to meet the region's steel needs.
These small and medium-sized steel companies will be concentrated in transportation hubs or regional centers relying on policies. For example, northern East Africa lacks related minerals, so northern East Africa will be the key investment area for this type of enterprises. .
However, based on the current capabilities of East Africa, it is estimated that the scale of investment will not be too large. After all, the country of East Africa is now too large, and the government does not have much energy to take care of all places.
The above is the general situation of steel investment in East Africa during the First Five-Year Plan. The current steel production in East Africa is about three million tons, only after the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom, and before Tsarist Russia and France. Austria The Hungarian Empire has just exceeded 1.1 million tons, ranking behind France.
In other words, in terms of steel production alone, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, East Africa and Tsarist Russia are in an absolute leading position compared to other countries. Among them, Tsarist Russia has the lowest steel production of more than two million tons, while East Africa It is between Tsarist Russia and Britain, which is about three million tons.
If East Africa's steel production exceeded the five million tons level in 1905, there would basically not be much change in the world rankings, because in 1900, the United Kingdom, as the world's third largest steel producer, was already close to Five million tons. By 1905, British steel production should reach at least six million tons.
As for Germany and the United States, they have no reference value at all and are far ahead of other countries. Although the gap between Germany and the United Kingdom is not too big at present, the growth rate of the German steel industry is much higher than that of the United Kingdom. In 1905, I am afraid that Germany had become the only country in the world with a steel production exceeding 10 million tons, leading all other countries except the United States by a cliff.
(End of this chapter)