Alumina operating capacity in April dropped by 3.22% month-on-month, and is expected to increase by 1.1% in May with new investments and resumed production

SMM News on April 29:

Based on SMM data, China's production of metallurgical-grade alumina in April 2025 (30 days) decreased by 6.17% month-on-month but increased by 6.31% year-on-year. By the end of April, the existing capacity for metallurgical-grade alumina in China was around 109.22 million metric tons, with the actual operating capacity dropping by 3.22% month-on-month and the operating rate at 78.76%.

The operating capacities of domestic alumina refineries had mixed results in April. Some new capacities coming online led to an increase in operating capacity, while others facing the pressure of losses opted to conduct maintenance and production cuts, resulting in a decline in operating capacity. Overall, the operating capacity of metallurgical alumina nationwide decreased by 2.87 million metric tons month-on-month in April.

In terms of specific provinces:

The operating rates of alumina in Shanxi, Henan, gand Shandong decreased in April. This was primarily due to production cuts implemented in March that continued to impact operations in April . Additionally, in April, some new alumina enterprises implemented production cuts or maintenance.

The operating rate of alumina in Guangxi decreased by 3.61 percentage points MoM. Although new capacities were commissioned and ramped up in Guangxi in April, there were also production cuts or maintenance at alumina enterprises. Coupled with the increase in existing capacity diluting the operating rate, the operating rate of alumina in Guangxi decreased MoM in April, while the operating capacity increased by 310,000 mt MoM.

Looking ahead to May, some alumina refineries have already announced production cut or maintenance plans, which are expected to contribute to a decline in alumina production. However, the commissioning of new capacities and the resumption of maintenance capacities could lead to an overall increase in operating capacity. It is projected that China’s operating capacity of metallurgical-grade alumina may slightly rebound in May, potentially reaching 86.96 million metric tons per year.