There is sufficient supply of upstream raw materials for prebaked anode materials and strong demand in the downstream application market.

Prebaked anodes are made of petroleum coke and pitch coke as aggregates and coal pitch as binder, and are used as anode materials for prebaked aluminum electrolytic cells. Prebaked anodes are carbon products and are essential raw materials for the production of electrolytic aluminum. Therefore, their industry development is closely related to the prosperity of the electrolytic aluminum industry.

Electrolytic aluminum is widely used and is mainly used in construction, machinery, photovoltaics, automobiles, power electronics, aerospace, rail transportation and other fields. In recent years, against the background of the rapid development of the new energy industry and the continued implementation of “new infrastructure” projects, the domestic market demand for electrolytic aluminum has continued to increase, and its output has shown a steady increase. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, domestic electrolytic aluminum production in 2021 will be 38.5 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 4.8%.

Against the background of the steady development of the domestic electrolytic aluminum industry, the output of prebaked anodes is also in a continuous growth stage. According to data from the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, domestic prebaked anode production in 2021 will be 20.98 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%. In the future, as the production and sales of new energy vehicles continue to expand and the installed photovoltaic capacity continues to increase, the domestic electrolytic aluminum market demand will continue to expand. According to the “2022-2026 Prebaked Anode Industry Market In-depth Research and Investment Prospect Forecast Analysis Report” released by the Industrial Research Center, The strong demand in the downstream application market of the industrial chain has provided strong impetus for the development of the prebaked anode industry. It is expected that the domestic production and sales of prebaked anodes will maintain a sustained growth trend in the future, and the industry has broad prospects for development.

Prebaked anodes are mainly made of three major raw materials: petroleum coke, pitch coke and coal pitch. They are resource-constrained industries, and the supply and demand situation of raw materials upstream of the industrial chain has a greater impact on them. Producing 1 ton of prebaked anode requires 1.09 tons of petroleum coke and 0.17 tons of coal pitch. In 2021, my country’s total coal pitch production will be approximately 5.461 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 2.8%; according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, domestic petroleum coke production in 2021 will be 3029.5 million tons, a cumulative increase of 3.1%. Sufficient supply of upstream raw materials lays a good foundation for the development of the prebaked anode industry.

In recent years, my country has become the world’s major producer of prebaked anode materials. According to data from the Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, there are currently 107 domestic prebaked anode companies, 98 of which are in production. The main companies include Soton Development, Chinalco International, and Tianshan Aluminum industry, Fengyuan Carbon, etc. Against the background of increasingly stringent domestic industry standards and increasing environmental protection efforts, the growth rate of prebaked anode production capacity has gradually slowed down, the market competition pattern has gradually optimized, and its industry concentration has continued to increase. Soton has developed into the current leading company in the global market.

Industry analysts personnel said that with the continuous development of the domestic prebaked anode industry in the future, local leading companies will consolidate their dominant position in the global market , the industry has good development prospects. At present, the domestic supply of upstream raw materials for prebaked anodes is sufficient and the downstream application market demand is strong. The development of the industry is facing a period of huge opportunities. In the future, domestic prebaked anode companies will need to continuously improve their production technology and improve product quality, so as to provide high-performance and high-stability products to meet the ever-escalating application market demands. The industry has broad room for development.