Yellow Phosphorus Industry in Yunnan Upgrading
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October 11 10:08:30, 2025
On the morning of October 12th, a loud explosion marked the demolition of the Yellow Phosphorus Production Plant at Yunnan Phosphorus Group's Jinning facility, which had an annual capacity of 2,500 tons. This event signaled another step in Yunnan Province’s ongoing effort to modernize and regulate its yellow phosphorus industry. To date, seven small-scale plants with annual capacities of 5,000 tons or less have been shut down, while over half of the production lines across the sector have undergone technological upgrades. As the largest producer of yellow phosphorus in China, Yunnan has made significant progress in promoting high-quality development and phasing out outdated, inefficient facilities.
The yellow phosphorus industry is known for its "three highs and one low" characteristics—high energy consumption, high resource use, high pollution, and low efficiency. It is a key sector under national energy-saving and emission-reduction regulations. With 57 enterprises operating 147 production lines, Yunnan accounted for 51% of the country’s total yellow phosphorus output last year. However, only four companies produced more than 10,000 tons annually, representing just 7.7% of the total. Many smaller firms focused on quantity over quality, leading to resource waste and environmental degradation.
Since 2003, the Yunnan Provincial Government has actively worked to eliminate redundant and low-efficiency production units. In that year, all facilities with less than 2,000 tons of annual capacity were phased out. The province later introduced the Interim Measures for the Administration of Yellow Phosphorus Production Devices and issued further guidelines in June of last year, aiming to dismantle all production units below 5,000 tons by the end of this year.
At the same time, the government has encouraged technological upgrades. Currently, 73 production lines use advanced three-phase six-pole technology, and six employ triangular furnace systems, making up more than half of the total. Units with capacities of 5,000 tons or more are equipped with intelligent electrode control systems, achieving relatively high energy efficiency levels nationwide. In cities like Kunming, Yuxi, and Qujing, phosphorus slag utilization has reached 100%, and most enterprises have achieved full recovery and reuse of phosphorus. Three dedicated companies handle sludge recovery, and all wastewater from yellow phosphorus production is now treated to meet zero-emission standards.
According to recent reports, the Yunnan Provincial Government plans to shut down 43 small yellow phosphorus plants by the end of 2008, 35 more by the end of this year, and 8 more by mid-2009, marking a clear commitment to sustainable industrial growth.