'Green Aluminum Valley' Spurs Energy Transformation
China has always attached great importance to tackling climate change and promoted green energy transformation and industrial restructuring. Yunnan province in the southwest contains about 20 percent of the country's clean energy resources, with more than 140 million kilowatts of installed power. Green energy accounts for 90 percent of the installed capacity.
Among all the green energy industries, Yunnan has lots of advantages in developing a green aluminum industry. A demonstration center has been built to combine green electricity with advanced manufacturing industry, exploring the high value of green electricity.
Many Chinese aluminum enterprises have landed in the Wenshan Zhuang and Miao autonomous prefecture of Yunnan, drawn by its rich green electricity and bauxite resources. They have formed a whole industrial chain integrating bauxite, alumina, electrolytic aluminum, aluminum deep processing, and recycled aluminum.
Over 40 aluminum industry chain projects have been built in Wenshan and the prefecture's aluminum processing capacity is now over six million tons. In 2023, it achieved a comprehensive output value of 56.74 billion RMB of green aluminum. Nicknamed "China green aluminum valley", Wenshan has the largest green electrolytic aluminum production capacity in China.
"Every ton of aluminum produced in Wenshan reduces carbon dioxide emissions by eight tons compared to thermal power," Ma Zhongjun, governor of Wenshan prefecture, said.
In recent years, Wenshan has accelerated the construction of hydropower, wind power, photovoltaic, natural gas and other clean energy projects, and its installed green energy capacity accounts for 98 percent of its total energy. Two natural gas pipelines have been built, with an annual gas supply of 500 million cubic meters.