According to Huang Chongqi, deputy chief engineer of Shanghai Cable Research Institute and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the market share of aluminum in my country's electrical industry is now on par with that of copper. The main driving force for users to choose between copper and aluminum cables is price. When the price of copper is more than three times that of aluminum, the likelihood of choosing aluminum cables increases.
Academician Huang further stated that the key properties of copper ensure its existence and application in certain aspects. "At least in the primary metal material stage, copper cables are superior to aluminum cables in terms of equivalent comparable energy consumption; under the same conditions, copper's conductivity is significantly better than aluminum, and even better than aluminum alloys." Therefore, in the application stage, end users of the product should select the best option based on comprehensive technical, economic, and safe operation requirements.
It is understood that copper holds an advantage in applications such as wind power, solar power, nuclear power, railways, and fire-resistant cables. According to data from Business Society, the current market price of copper is approximately 48,000 yuan/ton, while the price of aluminum is approximately 13,000 yuan/ton, a price difference of about 3.7 times. Academician Huang stated that "using aluminum to save copper" is an international trend, but it requires gradual development. Currently, the "technical preparation" and "market preparation" for "using aluminum to save copper" in China are not yet complete.
