Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has met with Liu Jian, chairman of Hebei-based Chinese steelmaker HBIS Group, in Beijing, during his state visit to China, according to a statement released by HBIS.
During the meeting, Vucic said that the Smederevo steel plant, acquired by HBIS in 2016 and known as the HBIS Serbia project, has brought benefits to both the steel mill and the Serbian people over the past decade. Vucic thanked HBIS for its contribution to strengthening the friendship between Serbia and China and stated that the Serbian government will continue to support green energy and low-carbon projects at the plant.
Liu Jian stated that the HBIS Serbia project has maintained steady growth during its ten years of operations. Liu added that HBIS will continue to pursue green energy projects and technology upgrades as the plant develops, while contributing to a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era.
On the other hand, a China-Serbia joint laboratory, operated by HBIS and the University of Belgrade and focused on green steel manufacturing has delivered initial results, according to a report by local media.
The laboratory’s key achievements include the production of trial samples of high-definition outer steel panels, the launch of a pilot production line using hydrogen-based smelting to extract vanadium and titanium from iron ore, and a major advance in ultra-high-strength steel used in automotive stamping. Researchers also confirmed that a shipment of iron ore powder from Serbia can be used as a high-quality raw material for green steelmaking.