REFORMS: Will Chinese magnesia production emerge stronger?

Chinese magnesia production is poised to emerge the stronger. The four key areas envisioned for strengthening China’s magnesia industry are consolidation, sustainability, innovation and standardisation. These are to be helped driven forward by China’s new infrastructure plan: a RMB17.5 trillion (US$2.51 trillion) investment for the next five-year period until 2025.

The planned outlook for the Liaoning magnesia industry is as follows:

• By 2022: the minimum mining capacity must achieve 300,000 tpa; new open pit magnesite
  mines prohibited; overcapacity will be strictly controlled with capacity replacement ratio; total control is applicable to all magnesite ore (MgCO₃) mining (rich and poor ore)
• By 2025: Green mining transformation; promoting industry clusters; integration of mining enterprise to mining groups in the city and country; 80% production capacity by the top five mining enterprises.
• By 2030: only 2-3 mining groups in the province; eco-friendly development pattern; gross industrial output value will go beyond RMB100bn.