Pingliang aims to build magnesium-based new materials industry hub

Leveraging abundant dolomite magnesium ore reserves in the Kongtong District, the city of Pingliang in Gansu Province is moving aggressively to establish a full-industry-chain magnesium-based new materials sector. The initiative integrates mining, primary magnesium smelting, and advanced magnesium alloy deep-processing into a cohesive development framework.

The Kongtong District and Pingliang Industrial Park (High-tech Zone) have mapped out 14 magnesium-related projects, forming a complete industrial chain spanning "mining-- primary magnesium smelting--magnesium alloy processing--high-end new materials." The plan includes a mining capacity of 4,000,000tpy of dolomite, a smelting capacity of 300,000tpy of magnesium metal, and supporting deep-processing facilities. Once fully operational, the projects are expected to generate an annual output value of RMB12 billion (USD1.77 billion) and create over 1,000 jobs.

The development will proceed in phases. The initial phase will focus on establishing a 1,200,000tpy mining operation, a 100,000tpy primary magnesium smelting and magnesium alloy production facility at the Pingliang Industrial Park. To ensure supply chain resilience, upstream supporting ferrosilicon production lines will be built to provide smelting auxiliaries. The midstream segment will feature high-purity magnesium smelting projects. Downstream, the focus will shift to high-value-added products including lightweight automotive components, aerospace-grade specialty magnesium materials, electronic magnesium alloy plates and profiles, and magnesium-based energy storage composite materials. A dedicated materials research laboratory will also be established to drive technological innovation in new processes and products.