中国是全球最大的锗生产国和出口国。金融危机以来，随着全球锗消费需求回暖，中国锗产量及锗出口价格持续回升。2010年，中国锗产量连续第三年超过100吨（金属吨），占到全球锗产量的70%以上；到2011年一季度，中国锗金属出口价格也回升至1219美元/公斤，已接近2008年以来的历史高位。


　　目前，中国锗行业的生产仍主要集中在二氧化锗、区熔锗锭等锗初级产品领域，但包括云南锗业、驰宏锌锗、中锗科技等国内锗行业内龙头企业在红外光学、太阳能电池用锗单晶片等锗深加工产品的投资正保持快速增长的态势。


　　云南锗业是中国锗资源储量、初级锗产品产能规模最大的生产企业，也是国内唯一一家以锗产品为主业的上市企业。截止2010年，该公司锗金属产能已经达到39吨/年，锗深加工产品——红外级锗单晶产能达到10吨/年。

　　驰宏锌锗也是国内锗行业重点企业之一，2010年，公司锗产品产能已经达到30吨/年，公司计划到2015年将现有锗产品产能扩张到40万吨，其中投资重点将是红外光学、太阳能电池用锗单晶片及光纤用四氯化锗等高端锗产品。

　　中锗科技是中国最早从事锗金属冶炼的企业之一，公司近年来通过参股通力锗业等方式向上游锗矿领域扩张。截止2010年，公司初级锗产品生产能力已经达到30吨/年，是国内第二大初级锗产品生产企业。按照现有规划，未来几年公司将通过上市募集资金的方式加大锗深加工产品的生产规模，将现有的5吨/年的红外锗单晶片产能扩张至22吨。

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China is the world’s largest producer and exporter of germanium. With the recovery of germanium demand worldwide after the financial crisis, the germanium output and export price of China saw sustained surge. The year of 2010 marked the third consecutive year for China’s germanium output in excess of 100 tons (metal equivalent), accounting for 70% or more of the global total. As of Q1 2011, China’s export price of germanium picked up to USD1, 219/kg, close to the peak since 2008.


Presently, China is still the major producer of primary germanium products such as germanium dioxide and zone-refined germanium ingot. Granted, domestic heavyweights including Yunnan Lincang Xinyuan Germanium Industrial Co., Ltd, Yunnan Chihong Zn&Ge Co., Ltd and China Germanium Co., Ltd are going into overdrive to invest in deep-processing germanium products such as monocrystalline germanium slices for infrared optics and solar cell use.


Yunnan Lincang Xinyuan Germanium Industrial is not only the largest enterprise in terms of germanium source reserves and capacity of primary germanium products, but also the only domestically listed company primarily focused on the germanium-based products. As of 2010, its capacity of germanium metal registered 39 tons/year, while that of germanium deep-processed product- infrared monocrystalline germanium-realized 10 tons/year.

Yunnan Chihong Zn&Ge Co., Ltd is also one among the domestic key industry champions, with its capacity hitting 30 tons/year in 2010. The company is projected to expand its existing capacity of germanium products to 40 tons by 2015, with the investment highlighting high-end germanium products such as monocrystalline germanium slices for infrared optics and solar cell use, and germanium tetrachloride for optical use.    

China Germanium is one of the enterprises that earliest tapped into germanium metal smelting in China. It has worked to expand its business in recent years towards upstream germanium ore realm through share-participation of Xilingol Tongli Ge Refine. As of 2010, the capacity of primary germanium products of the company reached 30 tons/year, making it become the second largest manufacturer of primary germanium products in China. China Germanium plans to make intensified efforts in expanding its annual capacity of infrared monocrystalline germanium slices to 22 tons from the present 5 tons by means of fundraising as a listed company in the upcoming years.