A War Resistance History of Aluminum in 80 Years
- Josephine
- Sep 2
- 2 min read
On September 3rd, 1945, 80 years ago, in this war that hinged on the survival of the nation, aluminum—the "flying metal" that once served as the backbone of warplanes and artillery shells—became a bottleneck due to a weak industrial base.
From poverty to global dominance, from bottlenecks to a strong backbone, every step of China's aluminum industry has been marked by the unwavering commitment to self-reliance. This tempered path is filled with the code of self-reliance.
From a shortage of aluminum products to the world's largest producer and consumer, a historic leap in comprehensive strength and international influence.
In December 1949, shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the former Ministry of Heavy Industry decided to build the Shandong Alumina Refinery (Factory 501), the Fushun Aluminum Refinery (Factory 301), and the Jilin Carbon Refinery (Factory 201), listing them as key projects in the first Five-Year Plan. On July 1, 1954, the first phase of the Shandong Alumina Refinery was completed and put into operation. On October 1 of the same year, the first phase of the Fushun Aluminum Plant produced its first batch of aluminum ingots.
In 1957, my country's alumina production reached 90,700 tons, electrolytic aluminum production reached 28,900 tons, and aluminum products production reached 12,300 tons.
In August 1964, the former Ministry of Metallurgy successively established the Guizhou Aluminum Plant, Southwest Aluminum Processing Plant, Lanzhou Aluminum Plant, Qingtongxia Aluminum Plant, Liancheng Aluminum Plant, and Northwest Aluminum Processing Plant in the southwest and northwest regions, forming a structure of eight electrolytic aluminum plants and three aluminum processing plants. The "Third Front" construction completely changed the layout of the aluminum industry.
After nearly 30 years of arduous independent development, my country not only established a relatively complete aluminum industry system, but also achieved a considerable scale, basically meeting the minimum urgent needs of the national economy and national defense.
In 1978, my country's alumina production reached 778,000 tons, electrolytic aluminum production reached 296,000 tons, and aluminum products production reached 106,000 tons.
In April 1983, the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Corporation was established. From then on, the nonferrous metals industry became an independent sector.
Under the strategic guidance of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Corporation (CNMC) for "prioritizing aluminum development," alumina refineries in Shandong, Zhengzhou, and Guizhou were expanded, and new aluminum refineries were built in Shanxi, Zhongzhou, Pingguo, Qinghai, and Baiyin. By 1992, my country's electrolytic aluminum production exceeded one million tons for the first time, reaching 1.09 million tons, completely ending its long-term dependence on imports.
In 2001, my country officially joined the World Trade Organization, creating a favorable external environment for economic globalization. The first 12 years of the new century saw the fastest growth in the aluminum industry, with average annual growth rates of 21.6%, 19.3%, and 24.4%, respectively, for alumina, electrolytic aluminum, and aluminum products.
In 2023, my country's alumina production will reach 82.44 million tons, electrolytic aluminum production will reach 41.59 million tons, and aluminum products production will reach 48.8 million tons, accounting for 58.1%, 59.6%, and 67% of the global total, respectively. Electrolytic aluminum consumption will reach 43 million tons, exceeding 60% of the global total.
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