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2026 SMM London Metals Forum

2026 SMM AICE Asia Aluminum Conference

ASEAN Solar Storage Summit 2026

SMM CCAE 2026 15th COPPER INDSTRY ANNUAL CONFERENCE

ASCC 2026 SMM 8th Automotive Supply Chain Conference & Industry Collaboration Forum

2026 SMM (3rd) South China Non-Ferrous Metals Annual Conference

CLNB 2026 Asia Battery Material Cooperation Forum

Indonesia Critical Minerals Conference & Expo 2027

Shanghai Metals Expo 2026

SMM (11th) Annual Nickel Conference 2026 - Ni Cr Mn Stainless Steel Event

【EVE Energy's H1 Net Profit Surges 105.66%, Power and Energy Storage Battery Shipments Rise】 EVE Energy reported operating revenue of RMB 45.691 billion for the first half of 2026, up 62.20% year-on-year, while net profit attributable to shareholders reached RMB 3.301 billion, up 105.66%. Non-GAAP net profit rose 111.89% to RMB 2.451 billion. During the period, power battery shipments reached 35.76 GWh, up 66.47% year-on-year, while energy storage battery shipments increased 54.88% to 44.46 GWh, supported by continued growth in large cylindrical power cells and large-capacity energy storage cells.

【SMM Flash】EVE Energy's H1 Net Profit Surges 105.66%, Power and Energy Storage Battery Shipments Rise

SMM, August 21: US-based critical minerals refiner Nth Cycle has been selected by the US Department of Energy to enter award negotiations for up to $100 million in funding to build a commercial-scale black mass refining facility, Project Shield, in the southeastern US one of the first of its kind domestically.
The facility will refine up to 24,000 t/y of domestic black mass, the material recovered from shredded spent lithium-ion batteries, into high-purity nickel MHP and battery-grade lithium carbonate using Nth Cycle's proprietary OYSTER electroextraction system. The award addresses a structural gap in US recycling capacity: following the US Department of Commerce's recent one-year export ban on black mass, insufficient domestic refining has left China dominant in its processing. Nth Cycle already holds a ten-year offtake term sheet with Trafigura for 2,000 t of contained nickel and 1,500 t of lithium carbonate, adding to its existing Ohio operations. Project Shield is targeted for 2029, aided by a modular build model roughly 70% less capital-intensive than traditional refineries.
SMM View: DOE backing for Nth Cycle reflects growing US urgency to build domestic lithium and nickel recycling capacity independent of Chinese midstream processing, with the black mass export ban tightening feedstock supply at home and locked-in offtake demand strengthening the case for battery recycling as a key pillar of western raw material security.

[SMM News] US DOE Selects Nth Cycle for $100M Black Mass Refining Project to Boost Domestic Battery Recycling

SMM, August 21: Zimbabwe's Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development, led by Chairman Hon. Remigious Matangira, has endorsed Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe's (PLZ) Arcadia project as a beneficiation benchmark following a fact-finding visit to the Goromonzi site, citing the company's proactive investment in local processing ahead of regulatory enforcement.
PLZ and subsidiary Arcadia Technology Zimbabwe have invested approximately $400 million in processing infrastructure and paid over $100 million in taxes and royalties to date. Its lithium sulphate plant, commissioned December 2025, is running stably, while a lithium carbonate plant under construction is set to begin rough output this month. The company reports a 90% metal recovery rate and 96% wastewater recycling rate, and has directed over $3 million toward community development, including founding the Triangle Zimbabwe College of Engineering and Technology.
During the visit, PLZ Commercial Manager Leo Huizenga presented a package of fiscal reform proposals aimed at improving downstream refining competitiveness. The centerpiece is a graduated royalty system that would replace Zimbabwe's flat 7% rate with a tiered structure scaled to processing stage: 7% on raw ore/concentrates, 5% on lithium sulphate, and 3% on battery-grade chemical salts, rewarding beneficiation over raw ore export. PLZ also flagged a currency mismatch straining liquidity, with 30% of its revenue earned in ZiG against 84% of tax liabilities due in foreign currency, and is urging the government to accept a greater share of tax payments in ZiG. Separately, the company called for its 10% export tax and 3% export levy to be treated as tax-deductible expenses, arguing that current non-deductibility pushes the effective burden to approximately 16.25% under Zimbabwe's 25% corporate tax rate, amounting to double taxation.
SMM View: Parliamentary endorsement of PLZ's Arcadia operation lends policy momentum to the company's fiscal reform push, positioning it as a reference case for how Zimbabwe may calibrate royalty and export-tax policy across its lithium sector. With processing capacity, community investment, and now legislative backing aligned, the outcome of PLZ's proposals particularly the graduated royalty system could set a precedent shaping how other Zimbabwean lithium producers structure future downstream investment decisions.

[SMM News] Zimbabwe MPs Endorse PLZ's Arcadia Lithium Project, Back Fiscal Reforms for Sector Growth

On August 2st, Sydney-listed Elevra Lithium has secured a price-floor supply agreement to deliver spodumene concentrate from its Québec project to Mangrove Lithium's planned conversion facility in Canada, as North American players move to build out domestic lithium processing capacity.
Under the agreement, Elevra will supply 100% of the feedstock required for Mangrove's 20,000 tonne-per-year lithium carbonate-equivalent conversion plant. The deal includes a price floor set above Elevra's expected production cost, with no ceiling on the upside, though the contract value was not disclosed. The Mangrove facility remains subject to a final investment decision, with additional funding support expected from Export Development Canada and the Canada Growth Fund, according to Mangrove Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer Annie Liu.
Liu noted that floor-price offtake structures are becoming increasingly standard across the hard-rock lithium supply chain, citing long asset development lead times and sustained demand for spodumene feedstock. A similar structure was adopted in February when Australia's PLS Group signed a floor-priced spodumene concentrate offtake agreement with a Chinese converter.
SMM View: The Elevra-Mangrove agreement reflects growing use of price-floor mechanisms to underpin new spodumene supply contracts, providing upstream producers with cost-cover certainty against continued lithium price volatility while securing dedicated feedstock for new North American conversion capacity. As more western processing projects reach final investment decision, similar floor-price offtake structures may become a standard feature of non-China-aligned spodumene supply chains, with implications for how feedstock is contracted and priced globally.

[SMM News] Elevra Lithium Secures Price-Floor Supply Deal with Mangrove for Quebec Spodumene Project

【China's Market Regulator Publishes Six Merger Review Cases to Curb “Involution” in Key Industries】 China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published six typical merger review cases aimed at addressing excessive and disorderly competition, including TCL Zhonghuan New Energy Technology's acquisition of a stake in Yidao New Energy and the establishment of a joint venture for lithium-ion battery separators by Cangzhou Mingzhu and Guangzhou Zengcheng Development Zone. SAMR said it will continue to strengthen merger and antitrust reviews in key sectors including photovoltaics and lithium batteries, while supporting corporate mergers and acquisitions that improve asset utilization and operational efficiency.

【SMM Flash】China's Market Regulator Publishes Six Merger Review Cases to Curb “Involution” in Key Industries

【China Leads Launch of World's First International Standard for Solid-State Batteries】 An international standard proposal for solid-state batteries in electric vehicle applications, led by China, has been approved for development by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), becoming the world's first international standard in the solid-state battery field. The standard, developed with participation from experts from France, South Korea and Japan, will establish unified guidelines, testing items and testing conditions for solid-state batteries, providing a common testing framework for global automakers and battery manufacturers.

【SMM Flash】China Leads Launch of World's First International Standard for Solid-State Batteries

The Future of Indonesia NPI and Asian Stainless Steel

Indonesia ESDM New HPM Formula & Nickel Market Updates

2025-2026 Global PV Market Review & Outlook: Navigating Geopolitics and Policy Shifts

SMM FREE WEBINAR: Sulfur Market: 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook

Impact of Iran Situation on Aluminum & Zinc Chains: A China-Based Market Outlook

SMM Africa Webinar: Strategic Sharing & Insights of Copper, Aluminium, New Energy, and Iron Ore Market

Lithium Is Moving Again — What It Really Means for BESS Costs and Procurement Strategy

Asia Copper and Aluminum Scrap 2025 Market Review and 2026 Outlook

SMM Aluminium Year-End Review: Indonesia 's Value Chain Acceleration - Tighter Quotas, Refinery Ramps & the Path to Aluminum Powerhouse Status

SMM Online Webinar: Nickel in Turmoil - Decoding Indonesia’s Policy Evolution & The Future of Global Supply

Category	Price Description	Change	Date
Raw Materials	Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate USD/tonne	+202.38	Aug 21
Raw Materials	Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide (Coarse Particles) USD/tonne	+312.27	Aug 21
Cathode material	China Lithium Ferrous Phosphate (Powder Compact Density 2.50g/cm³ min) USD/tonne	+50.86	Aug 21
Battery separator	China 9μm Wet-process Separator USD/m²	0	Aug 21
Electrolyte	China Lithium Hexafluorophosphate USD/tonne	+12.56	Aug 21
Electrolyte	China Electrolyte (for LFP Battery) USD/tonne	+3.1	Aug 21

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