SHANGHAI, Mar 9 (SMM) - The operating rate and average daily output of alumina in February both increased compared with January, but the total output was lower than last month due to fewer working days in February. The year-on-year output increase is owing to the sharp output decline in February 2022 caused by unreleased new capacity of Hebei Wenfeng and Chongqing Bosai, the heating season in north China, strict environmental protection policy during the Winter Olympics, and the pandemic outbreak in Guangxi.

In terms of regions, the output in Guizhou and Hebei increased MoM while that of other regions decreased slightly due to fewer natural days. In Henan, the local alumina plants maintained production cut, and thus the average operating rate of the province was only 54.2%. In the same period last year, under the strong pressure of strict environmental protection policies, poor profits and tight supply, the operating rate was 55.8%. These factors also affected the production in Shanxi and the operating rate was 70.7%; In Guizhou, the two alumina plants affected by power cuts have resumed, driving the operating rate in this province to recover from 73.2% to 89.4%. In Hebei, the monthly output increased 40,000 mt month-on-month. The total installed alumina capacity of Wenfeng reached 3.6 million mt, and the current operating rate remained at a high level of 90.5%. In Guangxi and Shandong, the stable supply of raw materials and good profits encouraged local enterprises to produce stably, with average operating rate of 98.1% and 95.6% respectively.