Why China’s Aluminum Industry May Have Reached Peak CO2 - CleanTechnica

China’s aluminum industry is likely to have reached its peak CO2 emissions in 2024, not due to a sudden drop in production or a single policy change, but because of a structural transformation in the geography and methods of aluminum production. China produces about 44 million tons of primary aluminum annually, accounting for nearly 60% of global output. Historically, aluminum smelting was concentrated in coal-heavy provinces, where electricity generation was highly carbon-intensive, resulting in sector emissions exceeding 400 million tons of CO2 per year. From the early 2000s to around 2014, aluminum output and coal power generation grew in tandem, driving up emissions. Starting in the mid-2010s, environmental pressures, coal overcapacity concerns, and the completion of large hydroelectric projects in southwestern China prompted a major geographic shift in aluminum production. Smelters were relocated from coal-dependent regions to hydro-rich provinces like Yunnan and Sichuan, where electricity emissions per ton of aluminum dropped dramatically—from roughly