Exclusive: China's aluminium output rose 7.68% YoY to 3.11 million mt in September, alumina output stood at 5.91 million mt

SHANGHAI, Oct 13 (SMM)—China’s primary aluminium output rose 7.68% year on year to 3.11 million mt in September (30 production days), showed an SMM survey. As of the end of September, there was 38.16 million mt among 43.28 million mt per year of existing primary aluminium capacity in operation, while operating rates across Chinese primary aluminium producers stood at 88.2%. With new capacities in Yunnan and Inner Mongolia coming online, the daily average primary aluminium output rose 900 mt from August to 103,800 mt in September.

During the first nine months of 2020, China’s primary aluminium increased 3.68% year on year to 27.43 million mt, while consumption rose 4.81% to 28.15 million mt. Social inventories of primary aluminium shrank 165,000 mt amid strengthened demand.  

SMM expects China’s primary aluminium output to stand at 3.24 million mt in October, up 8.18% year on year, as output at Yunnan and Inner Mongolia smelters is likely to continue to rise.

China’s alumina output stood at 5.91 million mt in September. This included 5.7 million mt of metallurgical-grade alumina, with the daily output up 2.29% on the month and 5.56% on the year to 189,900 mt. Output of metallurgical-grade alumina over the first nine months of the year totalled 49.79 million mt, 4.22% lower on a year-on-year basis. The release of new capacities in southwest China and stable operating rates at northern plants accounted for the slight increase in China’s daily average alumina output.

As of early October, the operating capacity of metallurgical-grade alumina stood at 68.65 million mt/year. SMM sees output of metallurgical-grade alumina at 5.94 million mt in October (31 days), with the daily output rising to 191,500 mt.