How is high-purity magnesium oxide capacity expanding, and which downstream sectors will drive demand?

How is high-purity magnesium oxide capacity expanding, and which downstream sectors will drive demand?
High-purity magnesium oxide capacity is scaling rapidly, led by salt lake projects. Western Magnesium, a subsidiary of Western Mining, holds 30.46 million tons of magnesium chloride reserves and operates 130,000 t/y high-purity MgO capacity, producing 31,762 tons in 2022. A new 100,000 t/y high-purity project in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, is planned in two phases, adding industrial, pharmaceutical, and electronic grades by 2026. Demand drivers include silicon steel coatings, electric heating elements, lithium battery cobalt precipitation, medical antacids, and specialty ceramics. The shift toward electronic and pharmaceutical grades reflects China's push up the value chain, though competition from imported high-end products remains intense.