China is pursuing policies to spur aluminum smelters to run on clean electricity. With a hard cap on coal-based capacity, the sector is shifting to renewables-rich regions, potentially unlocking a green aluminum boom. China, which produces about 60% of the world's aluminum, is on the cusp of a green aluminum boom as government policies push smelters to run on clean electricity. The country has capped total smelting capacity at 45 million tonnes and is relocating nearly 30% of its production roughly 13 million tonnes to provinces rich in hydropower, wind, and solar, such as Yunnan, Sichuan, and Inner Mongolia. The shift is driven by Beijing's 2025–2027 Aluminium Industry Action Plan, which mandates that over 30% of primary aluminum capacity meet benchmark energy efficiency levels and that clean energy account for more than 30% of power use. New smelters in regions like Yunnan are being designed around hydropower and integrated renewable generation, with the local grid's carbon footprint just one-fifth the national average. A leading private producer expects to cut its emissions by two-thirds after completing a new facility in Yunnan backed by solar and wind investments. The...