Antaike, the research arm of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, is predicting a surge in primary aluminum production capacity in the country next year.
According to the agency, most of the new capacity will come from Yunnan province, which uses hydropower, with a 15pc rise to 1.88mn mt of aluminum in 2021 from 1.63mn mt this year. The Henan Shunhuo Group will reach 900,000mt annually installed capacity in Yunnan, along with 450,000mt of added production ability in Wenshan.
Apart from the Yunnan region, Antaike also expects capacity to rise in Guangxi and Inner Mongolia by 370,000mt and 550,000mt, respectively, in 2021, while Shanxi and Guizhou will increase production by 100,000mt each. China’s total installed capacity will be 43mn mt by the end of 2020, but it won’t exceed 45mn mt next year because some new plants will be replacing old ones. Consumption in China is also expected to rise by 1.7pc on an annual basis, as the country recovers from the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.