2022: World aluminium production grows 2% amid energy crunch, China's output climbs 4% beating COVID restrictions

According to the International Aluminium Institute, world primary aluminium production in December 2022 amounted to 5.859 million tonnes, bringing the total output of 2022 to 68.417 million tonnes. The worldwide annual production in 2022 edged 1.97 per cent higher than 67.092 million tonnes a year ago, despite production cut at many smelters across the globe due to the energy crisis.

The output in December built up by 3.55 per cent month-on-month from 5.658 million tonnes and increased by 6.12 per cent year-on-year from 5.521 million tonnes, found IAI.

The world total primary aluminium production during the fourth quarter of 2022 reflected a year-on-year climb of 4.54 per cent from 16.60 million tonnes to 17.353 million tonnes. But on a quarter-on-year calculation, the output dropped by 0.61 per cent from 17.459 million tonnes.

World daily average production in December 2022 was 189,000 tonnes, slightly up from 188,600 tonnes in November and 6.12 per cent higher than 178,100 tonnes in December 2021.

China produced 40.387 million tonnes of primary aluminium in 2022, compared to 38.837 million tonnes a year earlier. That indicated an increase of 3.99 per cent, overcoming the smelters shutdown and poor availability of raw materials due to COVID-19 restrictions. But those challenges weighed on the country's Q4 output, which dropped 1.10 per cent Q-o-Q from 10.403 million tonnes to 10.289 million tonnes. However, on a yearly basis, it stood 8.67 per cent higher than 9.468 million tonnes.

In December, China’s primary aluminium production stood at 3.47 million tonnes, up by 3.30 per cent from 3.359 million tonnes in November and 11.61 per cent from 3.109 million tonnes in December 2021.

In the Gulf countries, primary aluminium production totalled 6.072 million tonnes in 2022, representing an increase of 3.11 per cent from 5.889 million tonnes in 2021. In Q4, the output amounted to 1.530 million tonnes, showing no significant change from 1.533 million tonnes in Q3. On a yearly basis, that edged a hike of 1.06 per cent from 1.514 million tonnes.

In Asia (ex-China), primary aluminium output in December 2022 was 391,000 tonnes, bringing the production volume of the whole year to 4.591 million tonnes. The annual primary aluminium output in Asia (ex-China) recorded an increase of 2.04 per cent from 4.499 million tonnes in 2021. In Q4 2022, Asia’s aluminium production stood at 1.165 million tonnes, up by 1.04 per cent from 1.153 million tonnes in Q3 and 1.30 per cent from 1.150 million tonnes in Q4 2021.