en.Wedoany.com Reported - After nearly a decade of industrial restructuring known as "Aluminum Moving South," Yunnan is poised to become the province with the largest electrolytic aluminum capacity in China. At a recent Yunnan special press conference on "Laying the Groundwork for the 15th Five-Year Plan," Zhao Junmin, Executive Vice Governor of Yunnan Province, stated that in 2025, Yunnan's operational electrolytic aluminum capacity reached 6.5 million tons, ranking second in China; the green aluminum industry chain output value reached 200.28 billion yuan. Once all projects under construction are put into operation, the capacity will rise to first place in China.

According to statistics from Fubao Information, electrolytic aluminum capacity is currently distributed across 17 provinces in China. Shandong ranks first with 6.69 million tons, accounting for 14.81%; Yunnan follows closely behind, accounting for 14.79%. Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Gansu rank third to fifth, accounting for 14.55%, 14.02%, and 6.78% respectively.

Electrolytic aluminum is a high-energy-consuming industry. Traditionally, capacity was built near coal resources and concentrated in coal-rich northern regions. In 2017, the state initiated a sector clean-up and rectification campaign, coupled with the regulatory goals of the "dual carbon" targets, prompting a large-scale migration of the industry from coal-power-rich areas to hydropower-rich areas. In the "Aluminum Moving South" trend, Yunnan became a primary destination due to its abundant hydropower resources. In 2025, Yunnan's installed power capacity reached 171 million kilowatts, with green energy installed capacity accounting for 91.2%. The average carbon dioxide emission factor for electricity is 0.1333, only one-quarter of the national average.

Landmark projects have accelerated this relocation. In 2018, Chinalco signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Yunnan Province to restructure Yunnan Metallurgical Group, bringing 1.2 million tons of electrolytic aluminum capacity. In 2019, Shandong Weiqiao Group established operations in Wenshan to build a 2.03 million-ton electrolytic aluminum project. Driven by these projects, Yunnan's electrolytic aluminum output reached 6.1668 million tons in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 10.8%.

While releasing production capacity, Yunnan is actively promoting the extension of the downstream deep-processing industry chain. Zhao Junmin stated at the press conference: "Yunnan will focus on achieving 100% local conversion of molten aluminum and 100% deep processing of aluminum materials, promoting the integrated development of recycled aluminum and aluminum processing and high-value utilization, accelerating the expansion of green aluminum into end-product sectors, and making every effort to build a 'Green Aluminum Valley'."

In January this year, Yunnan issued the "Yunnan Province Action Plan for Accelerating the Construction of a Modern Industrial System and Promoting a Strong Industrial Province," which clearly outlines the creation of a Green Aluminum Valley centered on Wenshan and Honghe, with linkages to Dali, Zhaotong, Qujing, and Kunming. The plan aims to consolidate the scale advantage of electrolytic aluminum capacity, promote industry chain investment attraction, introduce aluminum deep-processing and end-product manufacturing enterprises, foster the integration of recycled aluminum and aluminum processing, build a collaborative innovation ecosystem, and accelerate the construction of a green aluminum industry standard system. By 2027, the province aims for an aluminum alloying rate of around 80%, with the green aluminum industry chain output value reaching approximately 250 billion yuan.

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