Fugu leads global magnesium production with innovative green practices
2025-03-21 11:56:42 [Print]
In 2024, China's Fugu county produced 537,200 tonnes of magnesium, up by 46.98% year-on-year, accounting for 52.35% of China's total production and 47.54% of global supply.
Fugu, located in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, sits atop 23 billion tonnes of high-quality Jurassic coal, rich in oil content. The county has pioneered an innovative approach by using tail gas from semi-coke as energy for magnesium smelting, creating a sustainable "coal-coke-magnesium" industrial chain. Compared to traditional coal- or oil-based methods, this process saves 4.82 tonnes of standard coal and cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 46.7% per tonne of magnesium produced.
Fugu has also developed a closed-loop system integrating semi-coke, waste heat power generation, ferrosilicon, magnesium smelting, magnesium alloys, and magnesium slag utilization within a 100-kilometer radius in the county's western region. This system processes 7 billion cubic meters of tail gas annually and connects with coal-to-oil and ferroalloy industries, fostering a "magnesium circular industrial symbiosis."
Fugu's magnesium industry hit a record high in 2024, proving the success of innovations launched three years ago. In terms of safety, over 1.5 billion yuan (207 million US dollars) has been invested in upgrading intelligent safety control systems, reducing major accident risks by 90% and increasing capacity utilization from 68% to 95%. For environmental protection, the county invested 4.5 billion yuan (621 million US dollars) in emission reduction, improving efficiency by 40%. In addition, energy consumption per tonne of magnesium has dropped by nearly 20% since 2021, and 200,000tpa of high-quality production capacity was added in 2024.
Looking ahead, Fugu's magnesium industry will focus on high-end development, green development and digital & intelligent development. Plans are underway for a deep-processing magnesium alloy park, including high-purity magnesium, alloy production, component manufacturing, and material processing, aiming to boost added value by 3 to 5 times. Efforts will increase the comprehensive utilization of magnesium slag, developing new solid waste products like carbon-fixing magnesium slag, calcium-magnesium-silicon fertilizers, and concrete admixtures. By 2025, the county aims to achieve a 70% utilization rate for magnesium slag. AI-driven control systems and IoT monitoring platforms will be introduced to create "dark factories," propelling the ancient kilning process into the Industry 4.0 era.
Fugu, located in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, sits atop 23 billion tonnes of high-quality Jurassic coal, rich in oil content. The county has pioneered an innovative approach by using tail gas from semi-coke as energy for magnesium smelting, creating a sustainable "coal-coke-magnesium" industrial chain. Compared to traditional coal- or oil-based methods, this process saves 4.82 tonnes of standard coal and cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 46.7% per tonne of magnesium produced.
Fugu has also developed a closed-loop system integrating semi-coke, waste heat power generation, ferrosilicon, magnesium smelting, magnesium alloys, and magnesium slag utilization within a 100-kilometer radius in the county's western region. This system processes 7 billion cubic meters of tail gas annually and connects with coal-to-oil and ferroalloy industries, fostering a "magnesium circular industrial symbiosis."
Fugu's magnesium industry hit a record high in 2024, proving the success of innovations launched three years ago. In terms of safety, over 1.5 billion yuan (207 million US dollars) has been invested in upgrading intelligent safety control systems, reducing major accident risks by 90% and increasing capacity utilization from 68% to 95%. For environmental protection, the county invested 4.5 billion yuan (621 million US dollars) in emission reduction, improving efficiency by 40%. In addition, energy consumption per tonne of magnesium has dropped by nearly 20% since 2021, and 200,000tpa of high-quality production capacity was added in 2024.
Looking ahead, Fugu's magnesium industry will focus on high-end development, green development and digital & intelligent development. Plans are underway for a deep-processing magnesium alloy park, including high-purity magnesium, alloy production, component manufacturing, and material processing, aiming to boost added value by 3 to 5 times. Efforts will increase the comprehensive utilization of magnesium slag, developing new solid waste products like carbon-fixing magnesium slag, calcium-magnesium-silicon fertilizers, and concrete admixtures. By 2025, the county aims to achieve a 70% utilization rate for magnesium slag. AI-driven control systems and IoT monitoring platforms will be introduced to create "dark factories," propelling the ancient kilning process into the Industry 4.0 era.
Magnesium Ingot 99.95%min EXW China
Unit:RMB/mt
China's magnesium ingot producers' inventory to production ratio statistics by province by month
Unit: %
