China is Self-sufficient in Carbon Anode for Aluminum Electrolysis    

Carbon anode has a single purpose, i.e. serving as a key auxiliary material in electrolytic aluminum production. Eighty percent of carbon anode produced in China is made from petroleum coke and twenty percent made from coal tar pitch.
    At present, China has become one of the world's largest manufacturers of carbon anode for aluminum electrolysis. In 2008, the national total output was about 7.5 million tons, among which 6.6 million tons were for domestic consumption and the rest were exported.
    China also has adequate petroleum coke and coal tar pitch supply. In 2008, the country consumed about 8 million tons of green petroleum coke for carbon anode production, yet still managed to export 1.6 million tons. That same year, China's coke output reached 324 million tons, and the output of its byproduct coal tar pitch ranked first in the world.
    Currently, there are about 110 carbon anode manufacturers in China. Of them, Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco) has the largest production capacity and realized about 1.5 million tons of output in 2008. As of the end of 2008, about 40 domestic manufacturers of electrolytic aluminum had possessed the matching facilities to produce carbon anodes for aluminum electrolysis.
    China is the world's leading carbon anode exporter, and its products are mainly exported to the United States, Australia, Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, India, the Middle East and other countries and regions. In 2007, the export volume was about 450 000 tons which rose to near 1.0 million tons in 2008 with over US$400 million worth of export value.