Aluminum Corporation of China (hereinafter referred to as “Chinalco”) is a key state-owned enterprise directly supervised by the central government and a pilot state-owned capital investment company. It is shouldering the important mission of securing the supply of strategic mineral resources and advanced high-end materials. By the end of 2022, the total assets of Chinalco had grown to 625 billion yuan, with its sales revenue amounting to 517.6 billion yuan. Chinalco ranks 166th in the latest Fortune Global 500 list. As the largest nonferrous metals enterprise in the world, Chinalco is striding towards the goal of “building an outstanding world-class nonferrous metals company”.

As “the eldest son” of China’s nonferrous metals industry, Chinalco’s development bonded with the great causes of the Communist Party of China and the state. Among the 156 projects in China’s 1st Five-Year Plan (1953-1957), five are Chinalco’s subsidiaries. The successful construction of Fushun Aluminum Plant, Northeast Light Alloy and Shandong Aluminum Plant marks the beginning of China’s own aluminum industry. During the same period, key projects including Luoyang Copper Processing Plant, Yunnan Refinery Plant, Yimen Copper Mine and Huize Lead and Zinc Mine scored new breakthroughs from scratch in China’s copper, lead and zinc industries respectively. As the first state-owned engineering design company since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Shenyang Aluminum and Magnesium Engineering and Research Institute has blazed a new trail of independent technological innovation and cradled talents for China’s aluminum and magnesium industries. During the “third front construction” period, a number of companies including Southwest Aluminum, Northwest Aluminum and Liancheng Aluminum Plant took root in China’s western region, an action that optimized nonferrous metals industry layout and enhanced China’s overall industrial strengthen. Since China’s reform and opening-up, China’s nonferrous metals industry has experienced several major institutional reforms, but the aspiration of serving the state through industry development remains unchanged. In 2011, Chinalco was founded and it was further restructured into a limited liability company in 2017, a milestone marking a new era in the development of China’s nonferrous metals industry.

At present, Chinalco’s industry chain involves over 20 chemical elements including aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, gallium, germanium and magnesium. It has formed a diversified business development pattern in the nonferrous metals industry including aluminum, copper, engineering and technology, asset management, industrial finance, advanced manufacturing, environmental protection and energy conservation, innovation, intelligent technologies, and overseas development. It has built business presence in over 20 countries and regions and is the single largest shareholder of Rio Tinto. 6 of Chinalco’s controlled subsidiaries — Aluminum Corporation of China Ltd., Yunnan Copper Co. Ltd., China Aluminum International Engineering Co. Ltd., Yunnan Aluminum Co. Ltd., Yunnan Chihong Zn & Ge Co. Ltd. and NingXia YinXing Energy Co. Ltd. — are listed publicly with leading capacity for main products including alumina, primary aluminum, fine alumina, high-purity aluminum and aluminum anodes. Chinalco is not only a leading player in China’s copper industry and zinc and lead industry in terms of comprehensive strength, but also a leading producer of germanium and gallium in China. With 53 nation-level scientific and technological innovation platforms and 83 high-tech enterprises, Chinalco has formulated 140 international, national, industrial and association standards, leading the development of China’s nonferrous metals industry.

Chinalco has always been adhering to the original aspiration of “capitalising on its strengths to serve the country’s needs” and undertaking the national priorities with high-quality development. With regard to securing the supply of strategic mineral resources, Chinalco has built an array of world-class mineral resources projects, formed a number of industrial clusters, promoted the healthy and sound development of the industry, and significantly increased China’s capability in securing the supply of strategic mineral resources such as aluminum and copper. In terms of securing the supply of advanced high-end materials, Chinalco has successfully developed third-generation and fourth-generation aircraft aluminum alloys and aluminum-lithium alloys, and produced the world’s largest seamless aluminum forged ring. Metals such as gallium, germanium and rhenium extracted by Chinalco have been widely used in emerging industries such as the new energy industry. All these achievements have strengthened Chinalco’s control over the industry and increased its innovation capability and value of its products. With regard to self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology, Chinalco takes lead in a number of independently-developed technologies globally, such as technologies used in 500KA and 600KA super-large aluminum potlines with pre-baking anodes and a new type of energy conservation technology for steady current thermal insulation aluminum potlines. An array of its core technologies and products, such as high purity ultra-fine aluminum nitride and 5N high purity alumina, are developed independently, making the industry and supply chain of China’s nonferrous metals industry more secured. In terms of green and low-carbon development, Chinalco is taking concrete actions to earnestly fulfill its solemn pledge of “making the world greener with nonferrous metals”. Currently, over 40 percent of its total electrolytic aluminum products are produced with clean energy generated from solar, wind and hydro power. It supplies a large amount of high-quality new alloy materials for China’s high-speed trains, EVs and all-aluminum furniture, etc., which quickens the pace of decarbonization for the entire industry. With regard to fulfilling social responsibility, holding the concept “turning stone into gold for the benefit of humanity” in mind, Chinalco continuously supports poverty alleviation with a high standard. As Chinalco is vigorously promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, it wins wide acknowledgement from the international community for the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. Chinalco is also one of the first batch of ESG Demonstration Enterprises in China.

In the new era, Chinalco is fully implementing the new development philosophy and the primary task of high-quality development. It is focusing on the strategic position of being “the spearhead in global nonferrous metals industry, the main force in supplying national strategic mineral resources and advanced high-end materials, and the leader in industry innovation and green development”, staying committed to the overarching goal of “building an outstanding world-class nonferrous metals company” and upholding the corporate spirit of “striving for excellence and strength through diligence and innovation”. Chinalco is vigorously building “four super strengths” in technological innovation, mineral resources, high-end advanced materials, and green and smart digitalization. It is striving to achieve revolutions in quality, efficiency and dynamics, expediting its efforts to build a nonferrous metals powerhouse, and sparing no efforts to open a new chapter of Chinalco through a Chinese path to modernization.