Work Plan for Stabilizing Growth in the Nonferrous Metals Industry of Shandong Province
In order to implement the deployment and requirements of the provincial committee and the provincial government on stabilizing the basic economic situation, and in light of the industrial foundation and development reality of the non-ferrous metals industry in Shandong Province, focusing on the two advantageous industries of copper and aluminum, and promoting the effective improvement of quality and reasonable growth of quantity in the non-ferrous metals industry throughout the province, this plan is specially formulated.
I. Main Objectives
In 2026, the added value of the non-ferrous metal industry above designated size in the province will increase by about 5% year-on-year, and the output of cathode copper will reach about 1.7 million tons, with a year-on-year growth of about 3%. The output of copper processing products reached approximately 600,000 tons, increasing by about 4% year-on-year. The total output value of the copper industry has exceeded 200 billion yuan, and the comprehensive energy consumption of copper smelting and the comprehensive recovery rate of associated metals are at the leading level in the industry. The operating income of the aluminum industry exceeded 660 billion yuan, and the proportion of electrolytic aluminum production capacity above the benchmark energy efficiency level exceeded 35%.
Ii. Key Tasks
(1) Consolidate the foundation of resource security and strengthen the independent control of raw materials.
1. Build a diversified system of renewable resources. Focus on building a copper industrial cluster of "recycled copper smelting + urban mining" in Linyi and a recycling base for recycled aluminum in Binlin Tobacco. Support the construction of an "Internet + recycling" platform to enhance the efficiency and coverage of recycled resource recycling. Implement the policy of immediate refund of 30% value-added tax on the recycling and utilization of waste aluminum, standardize the disassembly and sorting processes of recycled copper and recycled aluminum, promote the resource utilization of emerging solid wastes such as used power batteries and photovoltaic modules, and form a complete industrial chain for the recycling and utilization of renewable resources. Encourage recycling resource enterprises to "go global", expand overseas channels for recycling waste copper and aluminum, and enhance their capacity to obtain overseas recycling resources. (Responsible units: Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology)
2. Deepen cooperation on overseas resources. Support enterprises in signing long-term copper concentrate purchase agreements with mining companies in countries such as Chile and Peru, and establishing overseas bauxite mining bases or signing long-term purchase agreements with countries such as Guinea and Australia to build a stable overseas supply chain and ensure the stable supply of copper concentrate raw materials. Encourage and support enterprises with international competitiveness and operational experience to actively obtain high-quality strategic mineral resources such as copper and aluminum on a global scale through market-oriented means. We will focus on promoting cooperation in mineral exploration and development along the Belt and Road Initiative and in resource-rich areas such as Africa, and enhance the security level of industrial and supply chains within the province. (Responsible unit: Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology)
(2) Focus on the direction of industrial upgrading and promote the high-end transformation of manufacturing.
3. Build characteristic industrial clusters. Copper industry: Focus on cultivating four major copper industrial clusters, namely, "collaborative smelting + copper-based new materials" in Dongying, "mineral copper smelting + high-end strip and foil deep processing" in Liaocheng, "associated copper smelting + special bar and wire deep processing" in Yantai, and "recycled copper smelting + urban mining" in Linyi. Breakthroughs have been made in technologies such as 5N high-purity copper, copper alloy target backsheet for integrated circuits, high-strength and high-conductivity copper alloy rolled foil, extremely thin lithium battery copper foil, high-speed copper cables for Gpus, large high-performance easily segregated copper alloys, and dispersion-strengthened copper. Promote the advancement of the copper industry throughout the province towards high-end and characteristic development, and enhance the core competitiveness of the copper industry. Aluminum industry: Expand the four major clusters of lightweight aluminum new materials in Binzhou, green and circular aluminum industry in Liaocheng-Linyi, high-end transportation aluminum materials in Yantai, and high-end aluminum innovative application in Weifang. Promote products such as integrated die-casting formed car bodies, aluminum components for high-speed rail, aviation and power batteries, photovoltaic aluminum frames, aluminum public facilities, and aluminum foil packaging products for food, and expand the application fields, scale and level of aluminum materials and products. (Responsible units: Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology)
4. Promote the extension, supplementation and strengthening of industrial chains. Copper industry: In the upstream, strengthen the upgrading of the circular economy in copper smelting, improve the utilization efficiency of recycled copper resources, and consolidate the foundation of raw material supply. In the midstream, expand into specialized copper materials for power transmission and distribution, precision copper components for electronic information, and special copper parts for equipment manufacturing, etc., to fill the category gap in the mid-end of the industrial chain. Downstream, we will lay out key copper-based materials in the fields of new energy and electronic information, with a focus on breakthroughs in photovoltaic copper strips, copper foils for power batteries, high-frequency transmission rolled copper foils, and large-scale castings and forgings of special copper alloys for nuclear fusion. We will open up channels for extending to high-end application scenarios and improve the copper industrial chain. Aluminum industry: Extend the "smelting - processing - terminal application" chain, focus on application fields such as new energy vehicles, rail transit, aerospace, photovoltaic, 3C electronics, infrastructure, and food packaging, and enhance the supply level of high-end products. Steadily increase the utilization rate of recycled aluminum production capacity and enhance the efficiency of aluminum resource recycling. Research and formulate incentive policies to promote the recycling and utilization of recycled aluminum, accelerate the release of the leading and leveraging effects of policies, and drive the high-quality development of the industry. (Responsible units: Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Provincial Development and Reform Commission)
5. Strictly control inefficient and repetitive construction. Strictly implement the national industrial policies on industries such as alumina, electrolytic aluminum, and copper smelting. Further strengthen the full-process management of project approval. Conduct reviews strictly in accordance with the legal standards and regulatory requirements in terms of production capacity, energy efficiency, emissions, and quality. Resolutely curb low-level homogeneous competition and promote the development of the industry towards intelligence, greenness, and integration. (Responsible units: Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology)
(3) Strengthen the driving force of scientific and technological innovation and break through the bottleneck of high-end materials.
6. Build a collaborative innovation platform. Support industry enterprises in jointly building key laboratories and pilot-scale transformation bases for new copper and aluminum materials with universities and research institutions, establish a closed loop of "research and development - pilot-scale production - industrialization", and accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Build a high-quality scientific and technological innovation platform for aluminum materials, establish a high-end aluminum industry metrology and testing center, and enhance the R&D and quality inspection levels of aluminum materials. (Responsible units: Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Provincial Development and Reform Commission)
7. Tackle key "bottleneck" technologies. Break through key technologies such as the preparation of high-quality alumina and new cathodes, and high-end rolled copper foil, and support the research and development and industrialization of high-end aluminum materials such as high-performance aluminum matrix composites. Focus on key technologies such as low-carbon and energy-saving smelting of primary aluminum, source reduction of red mud, and modified and quality-based utilization, and organize joint research and development efforts. Carry out the "Artificial Intelligence + Non-ferrous Metals" initiative, build characteristic large models for the copper and aluminum industries, promote the intelligent upgrade of exploration, sorting and smelting scenarios, and enhance the production efficiency and technological level of the industry. (Responsible units: Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Provincial Development and Reform Commission)
8. Enhance standards and quality. Accelerate the formulation of standards for new materials such as high-purity copper and high-performance copper-aluminum alloys, and improve the standard system for non-ferrous metal materials. Cultivate the high-end copper and aluminum brand of "Shandong Manufacturing", and enhance the market recognition and reputation of Shandong's copper and aluminum products. (Responsible units: Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Provincial Department of Commerce, Provincial Market Regulation Bureau)
(4) Promote green and low-carbon transformation and accelerate digital empowerment of industries.
9. Deepen green transformation. Centering on the energy efficiency benchmark and the A-level environmental performance, efforts will be made to promote energy conservation, pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction in the alumina, electrolytic aluminum and copper smelting industries. Advanced energy-saving technologies and equipment will be adopted to lower energy consumption and pollutant emissions. Support enterprises in building distributed new energy sources, increase the proportion of green electricity consumption, and optimize the energy structure. Build a green and low-carbon public service platform for the non-ferrous metals industry, carry out carbon footprint management and evaluation of green aluminum and low-carbon copper products, and promote the green development of the industry. (Responsible units: Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Provincial Energy Bureau)
10. Accelerate digital upgrading. In accordance with the requirements of the "Implementation Guidelines for Digital Transformation of the Nonferrous Metals Industry", a number of intelligent factories and digital workshops will be cultivated in the copper and aluminum industries to further enhance the intelligence level of the production process. Promote the digital twin model of copper smelting, smart aluminum electrolysis plants, and the "5G+ industrial Internet" collaborative platform, carry out maturity diagnosis and assessment of industry digital transformation, and provide guidance and support for enterprises' digital transformation. (Responsible unit: Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology)
(V) Expand the market demand space and stimulate the consumption potential of downstream.
11. Promote the upgrading of bulk consumption. Focusing on the fields of new energy vehicles, new-generation electronic information, and aerospace, we will promote high-strength and high-conductivity copper cables, copper heat sinks for 5G base stations, aluminum-magnesium alloy car wheels, lightweight aluminum bodies and other products to meet the demands of high-end manufacturing for non-ferrous metal materials. Support upstream and downstream enterprises to sign long-term procurement agreements, share the risks of raw material price fluctuations, and stabilize the supply and demand relationship. (Responsible units: Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Provincial Department of Commerce)
12. Cultivate emerging consumer markets. Promote aluminum public facilities and aluminum foil packaging for food, and expand the consumption scenarios of all-aluminum home furnishings. By means of production-consumption connection, holding exhibitions, and creating model projects, we will build model projects for aluminum furniture, aluminum alloy building formwork and enclosure panels, aluminum urban public facilities, and copper-based new material applications, guiding consumption upgrading and fostering new consumption growth points. (Responsible units: Provincial Department of Commerce, Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology)
13. Expand foreign trade exports. Guide the compliant export of high-end copper foil, special aluminum alloys, aluminum die-castings and other deep-processed products, and support enterprises in participating in overseas exhibitions to expand the international market. Encourage enterprises to integrate into the non-ferrous metal industrial chains of countries along the Belt and Road through cross-border mergers and acquisitions and technological cooperation, guide products and complete sets of equipment, technologies, standards, services, etc. to go global in a coordinated manner, and enhance the international competitiveness of Shandong's non-ferrous metal industry. (Responsible units: Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Provincial Department of Commerce)
Iii. Safeguard Measures
Relevant departments (units) of the provincial government should unify their thinking, shoulder their responsibilities, closely cooperate and actively promote the implementation of all tasks. Coordinate the provincial special funds for industrial transformation and development to support copper and aluminum enterprises in equipment renewal and technological transformation and upgrading. Make good use of the policies on ultra-long-term special Treasury bonds and the first batch of insurance compensation for new materials to guide financial institutions to increase credit input and meet the reasonable capital demands of enterprises for their operation and development. Integrate industry management with assisting enterprises in overcoming difficulties, make good use of working mechanisms such as the "Chain leader System" and "Luqi Help", and actively promote the resolution of enterprises' difficulties and demands.
