Chinese primary aluminium and aluminium fabricated products producer Wanji Holding Group plans to replace its production capacity in central China's Henan province by building a new smelter in north-west China's Xinjiang region.
Wanji operates a 580,000 t/yr aluminium smelter in Luoyang city, Henan province, which uses 300, 330 and 400 kiloampere electrolytic baths. The company has submitted a proposal to transfer the capacity in Henan to Xinjiang province, according to the local government of Xinjiang.
Wanji plans to start building a new smelter in Xinxing city in March 2026, targeting to launch production in December 2027. The new smelter will use the world's most efficient 600 kiloampere large-scale electrolytic baths, said the company.
Wanjiang will demolish its old smelter in Henan province in December 2027 to complete the capacity replacement.
The company has accelerated replacing its aluminium production capacity this year in response to Chinese government's pledge to prompt producers to adopt upgraded electrolytic baths and use greener energy in production. Beijing has also set a cap on the country's total aluminium capacity at 45mn t/yr, requiring smelters to only build new capacity to replace old production.
Fellow producer Yidian Holding Group has also unveiled a plan to replace its production capacity in Henan province with a new smelter in north China's Inner Mongolia region, which is scheduled for completion in May 2026.
