List of green aluminum firms to be published

China plans to publish a list of aluminum smelters that meet its environmental standards, with the firms selected to receive help in cutting costs. But those left off the list could be forced to curb output as they become less competitive.

Lower production in China, the world's top producer and consumer of aluminum, would help support international prices, which have fallen more than 8 percent so far this year.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is preparing the move in the wake of a similar list for steel mills published last week, with the country's new leaders under pressure to tackle a pollution crisis that has become a source of increasing public fury.

The plan was disclosed earlier last week in a closed-door meeting of large aluminum smelters and government officials, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said Friday.

"The ministry has not done (the list for aluminum smelters yet). It should be within this year," said an industry source who attended the meeting in Beijing but declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

He added that smelters that make it onto the list will receive government support through steps such as loans and lower power fees.

"Smelters that fall outside the aluminum list will be treated differently, such as getting less credit from local banks," said a source at a large smelter.

Companies not on the list may be forced to cut production or close if domestic aluminum prices stay low, he noted.

Like steel mills, the aluminum list is expected to include smelters that are medium- or large-sized companies and that meet environmental and energy-saving standards, the sources said.

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