China　has　been　the　largest　primary　magnesium　producer　in　the　world　since　year　2000　and　is　an　important　part　of　the　global　magnesium　supply　chain.　Almost　all　of　the　primary　magnesium　in　China　is　produced　using　the　Pidgeon　process　invented　in　the　1940s　in　Canada.　The　environmental　problems　of　the　primary　magnesium　production　with　the　Pidgeon　process　have　already　attracted　much　attention　of　the　local　government　and　enterprises.　The　main　purposes　of　this　research　are　to　investigate　the　environmental　impacts　of　magnesium　production　and　to　determine　the　accumulative　environmental　performances　of　three　different　scenarios.　System　boundary　included　the　cradle-to-gate　life　cycle　of　magnesium　production,　including　dolomite　ore　extraction,　ferrosilicon　production,　the　Pidgeon　process,　transportation　of　materials,　and　emissions　from　thermal　power　plant.　The　life　cycle　assessment　(LCA)　case　study　was　performed　on　three　different　fuel　use　scenarios　from　coal　as　the　overall　fuel　to　two　kinds　of　gaseous　fuels,　the　producer　gas　and　coke　oven　gas.　The　burden　use　of　gaseous　fuels　was　also　considered.　The　procedures,　details,　and　results　obtained　are　based　on　the　application　of　the　existing　international　standards　of　LCA,　i.e.,　the　ISO　14040.　Depletion　of　abiotic　resources,　global　warming,　acidification,　and　human　toxicity　were　adopted　as　the　midpoint　impact　categories　developed　by　the　problem-oriented　approach　of　CML　to　estimate　the　characterized　results　of　the　case　study.　The　local　characterization　and　normalization　factors　of　abiotic　resources　were　used　to　calculate　abiotic　depletion　potential　(ADP).　The　analytic　hierarchy　process　was　used　to　determine　the　weight　factors.　Using　the　Umberto　version　4.0,　the　emissions　of　dolomite　ore　extraction　were　estimated　and　the　transportation　models　of　the　three　scenarios　were　designed.　The　emissions　inventory　showed　that　both　the　Pidgeon　process　of　magnesium　production　and　the　Fe-Si　production　were　mainly　to　blame　for　the　total　pollutant　emissions　in　the　life　cycle　of　magnesium　production.　The　characterized　results　indicated　that　ADP,　acidification　potential,　and　human　toxicity　potential　decreased　cumulatively　from　scenarios　1　to　3,　with　the　exception　of　global　warming　potential.　The　final　single　scores　indicated　that　the　accumulative　environmental　performance　of　scenario　3　was　the　best　compared　with　scenarios　1　and　2.　The　impact　of　abiotic　resources　depletion　deserves　more　attention　although　the　types　and　the　amount　of　mineral　resources　for　Mg　production　are　abundant　in　China.　This　study　suggested　that　producer　gas　was　an　alternative　fuel　for　magnesium　production　rather　than　the　coal　burned　directly　in　areas　where　the　cost　of　oven　gas-produced　coke　is　high.　The　utilization　of　＂clean＂　energy　and　the　reduction　of　greenhouse　gases　and　acidic　gases　emission　were　the　main　goals　of　the　technological　improvements　and　cleaner　production　of　the　magnesium　industry　in　China.　This　paper　has　demonstrated　that　the　theory　and　method　of　LCA　are　actually　helpful　for　the　research　on　the　accumulative　environmental　performance　of　primary　magnesium　production.　Further　studies　with　＂cradle-to-cradle＂　scheme　are　recommended.　Furthermore,　other　energy　sources　used　in　magnesium　production　and　the　cost　of　energy　production　could　be　treated　in　further　research.