Sanmenxia is upgrading its aluminum industry, one of its seven planned industry cluster chains. It plans to build the industry into a pillar industry in the city.
According to the city's plan of industry cluster chains, revenue from the aluminum industry will reach 69 billion yuan ($11.26 billion) by 2015, with an added-value at 20 billion yuan. By then, the annual aluminum oxide production capacity will have reached 6 million metric tons.
By 2020, sales revenue from the aluminum industry cluster chain is expected to reach 130.5 billion yuan, and its added-value will amount to 30 billion yuan.
The first aluminum plant in the city went into operation in 1960, producing 1,000 tons of aluminum ingots a year. Its output had reached 20,500 tons by 1990. Now, the city has several major national aluminum producers, including Sanmenxia Yixiang Aluminum, Kaiman Aluminum and East Hope (Sanmenxia) Aluminum, as well as a number of aluminum deep-processing enterprises.
The added-value of the aluminum industry has maintained 21.6 percent growth since the 11th Five-Year Plan (2005-10). Aluminum oxide output averages 5.3 million tons, accounting for about one-sixth of the country's total. Electrolytic aluminum output is 535,000 tons; aluminum alloy wheel hub capacity is 3 million units; and processed aluminum capacity is 200,000 tons
The city now uses technological innovations to upgrade the traditional industry. It plans to produce high-end aluminum products for the auto, aviation and space industries.
At the same time, attention will be paid to environmental protection and energy conservation in developing this industry cluster chain, according to the city's plan