Analysis of Anthracite Filter Media Market Dynamics (May 27, 2026)

I. Recent Price Trends
1. Price Volatility
- From May 1 to May 11, 2026, the reference price for anthracite filter media remained stable at RMB 680.00 per ton, representing a 0.37% increase compared to RMB 677.50 per ton on April 1, indicating short-term price stability.
- On May 12, the price for washed small-sized anthracite in Jincheng rose to RMB 1,000 per ton (an increase of RMB 20 per ton from the previous day), while washed medium-sized anthracite held steady at RMB 980 per ton; prices in Yangquan, Shizuishan, Bijie, and Jiaozuo remained unchanged, reflecting regional supply-demand disparities.

2. Historical Price Comparison
- The average gross profit margin for anthracite filter media in Q1 2026 stood at 34.7%, significantly higher than that of quartz sand (22.1%) and manganese sand (28.5%), primarily supported by the scarcity of premium anthracite resources and high barriers associated with deep-processing technologies.
- In 2025, the industry’s CR5 (top-five-firm) concentration ratio reached 46.8%. Leading enterprises—including Shanxi Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group and Ningxia Baofeng Energy—have established quality and distribution advantages through comprehensive certification systems, thereby driving structural price premiums.

II. Supply-Demand Dynamics
1. Supply Side
- Production Capacity Distribution: Major production bases include Jincheng (Shanxi) (Yangquan Coalfield), Shizuishan (Ningxia) (Tai’xi Coal), and Jiaozuo (Henan). Notably, Ningxia Jiayue Carbon Co., Ltd. leverages the low-ash advantage of Tai’xi coal to export products to Germany and Thailand; Huayang New Materials (Shanxi) has an annual output capacity of 20,000 tons, serving flue gas desulfurization applications in thermal power plants.
- Technological Upgrades: Industry leaders have adopted gradient sintering and intelligent particle-size grading technologies to enhance acid/alkali resistance and contaminant retention capacity. For example, Ningxia Jiayue’s filter media demonstrate a 60% lower dissolution rate under pH 2–12 conditions compared to conventional products.

2. Demand Side
- Policy-Driven Demand: China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment mandates a drinking water source compliance rate of ≥98% for prefecture-level and above cities by the end of 2025—spurring upgrades across over 280 water treatment plants, with each plant requiring approximately 120 tons of additional filter media.
- Industrial Demand: Fourteen national-level chemical industrial parks’ wastewater treatment plants employ dual-layer filtration systems (“anthracite + activated carbon”), increasing anthracite usage per unit treatment capacity by 2.3×; meanwhile, 37 thermal power plants across North and Northwest China have launched pilot programs for filter media regeneration, boosting demand for high-performance filter media.
- Rural Market: Newly constructed rural centralized water supply facilities and aging water plant filter media replacement account for 27% of incremental demand.

III. Regional Market Divergence
1. Jincheng Market
- On May 12, the price for washed small-sized anthracite rose by RMB 20 per ton to RMB 1,000 per ton, reflecting growing demand from deep treatment of chemical wastewater. Local producers enhance COD adsorption capacity via high-specific-surface-area pore structures (15–25 m2/g).
2. Yangquan Market
- Prices remain stable at RMB 900 per ton; however, Huayang New Materials (Shanxi) employs directional anti-pulverization coating technology, achieving a wear rate 1.45 g/cm3 and acid-insoluble residue >98% in zero-liquid-discharge (ZLD) projects for chemical wastewater, significantly strengthening its export competitiveness through gradient calcination technology.
4. Henan Market
- Henan Lüdu Environmental Protection has developed lightweight filter media (bulk density: 1.2–1.3 g/cm3) tailored for high-flow-rate filtration systems (e.g., sidestream filtration in circulating cooling water), reducing backwash energy consumption by 15%.

IV. Future Trend Forecast
1. Price Outlook
- Short Term: Supported by policy-mandated facility upgrades, prices are expected to remain at elevated levels with moderate volatility; regional adjustments (e.g., Jincheng) may become routine.
- Long Term: As new intelligent filter media production lines come online in Ningxia and Shanxi, unit production costs will decline, potentially narrowing overall price growth—but structural premiums for high-quality products will persist.
2. Demand Structure Evolution
- Demand from advanced applications—including industrial zero-liquid-discharge systems and ultrapure water pre-treatment for the electronics industry—is projected to grow at >15% annually, accelerating adoption of acid/alkali-resistant, low-leaching filter media.
3. Competitive Landscape
- Leading enterprises will reinforce market positions via technical certifications and channel advantages; SMEs may focus on niche segments—for instance, Inner Mongolia Haoyuan Mining is developing low-temperature brittle-resistance filter media specifically for cold-region applications.
4. Policy Impact
- Continued implementation of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s “Key River Basin Water Ecological Environment Protection Plan” and the National Development and Reform Commission’s “Guiding Opinions on Comprehensive Utilization of Industrial Resources” will sustain market momentum. The 2026 anthracite filter media market size is forecast to reach RMB 9.47 billion, representing a 6.2% year-on-year growth.