Aug battery material import/export data released, spodumene imports in physical content hit another record high, what about other segments? [SMM Special]

Huawei Pursues Africa Green‑Mining Partnerships and Holds Business Talks with ZESCO at SMM ACM 2026

[SMM Analysis: Hebei's "Lithium-Sodium Hybrid Storage" Deploys in Batches: Sodium-Ion Battery ESS Enters Provincial Verification Period] SMM, September 23: Recently, sodium-ion battery energy storage projects in Hebei have appeared intensively across filing, tendering, winning bid results, and construction commencement stages, making it one of the fastest provinces in China in terms of sodium-ion battery deployment pace on the electricity ESS side. After reviewing the public lists of the Hebei Provincial Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), as well as EPC and equipment tender winning bid results, SMM believes: Hebei is no longer a "policy statement" player, but has placed sodium-ion batteries into the project library of standalone ESS, grid connection timelines, and bidding sections—sodium-ion batteries are moving from demonstration fences into the provincial electricity market, entering a verification period with real money.

Hebei's "lithium-sodium hybrid storage" sees batch deployment: sodium-ion battery energy storage enters provincial verification period [SMM Analysis]

Gansu Natural Energy Research Institute Signs Agreement with Jordan Renewable Energy Association to Jointly Tackle Desert Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia Technology

CCS Releases Guidelines for Ships Using Hydrogen Fuel, 2026 Edition, Effective October 1

Today, SMM battery-grade lithium carbonate spot prices drifted higher compared with the previous trading day. The lithium carbonate 2701 contract opened higher at 135,000 yuan/mt today (hitting a high of 135,000 yuan), and after the open, bears quickly entered the market, sending prices drifting lower along the average price line throughout the morning session. In early trading, prices dipped to around 130,500 yuan/mt, and around midday they further slid to the intraday low of 128,100 yuan/mt. In the afternoon, prices consolidated on a weak note at low levels, fluctuating repeatedly around 129,000 yuan/mt, before stabilizing slightly near the close and ultimately closing down 3.2% at 128,900 yuan/mt, with open interest increasing by 9,614 lots. In the spot market, downstream dip-buying willingness was strong, while upstream lithium chemical plants continued to hold prices firm and hold back from selling spot orders. Overall, market inquiries and actual transactions were relatively active.

SMM Daily Review: Spot lithium carbonate prices drift higher on September 23

Pylontech held a mass-production ceremony for its 588Ah and 601Ah large-capacity ESS cells at its Hefei base on Sep 21. Cumulative output has exceeded 100MWh, and the cells are already used in its new PyOcean 6.25MWh and 8MWh utility-scale systems, which have won orders and shipped. The 601Ah cell reaches 425.8Wh/L volumetric energy density, over 12,000 cycles and 96.5% energy efficiency. The Hefei line is 100% automated in core processes, with full lifecycle traceability for every cell.

[ESS: Pylontech's 588Ah/601Ah large-format ESS cells enter mass production]

CATL announced on Sep 22 that its new cell plant in Debrecen, Hungary has officially started trial production, with the first two lines of the initial cell building coming online after all preconditions were met. The project, its second battery plant in Europe, was announced in Aug 2022, broke ground in summer 2023, obtained its usage permit in Aug 2026, and has produced 537,000 battery modules since autumn 2024. Once fully built, the 100GWh base will be CATL's largest manufacturing site outside China, supplying leading European automakers with EV capacity in Hungary.

[Li-ion: CATL starts trial cell production at Hungary plant, planned capacity 100GWh]

[Second China-New Zealand NEV Dialogue Held in Beijing] On September 22, 2026, Wang Weiming, Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and Chris Nees, Deputy Secretary of New Zealand's Ministry of Urban, Environmental, Regional and Transport, co-chaired the second China-New Zealand NEV dialogue in Beijing. Wang Weiming stated that establishing the NEV dialogue mechanism is a pragmatic measure to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of China and New Zealand. The two sides jointly held the first China-New Zealand NEV dialogue in Wellington, New Zealand, last December, laying an important foundation for industrial cooperation between the two countries. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is willing to continue strengthening dialogue and exchanges in the NEV field with New Zealand's Ministry of Urban, Environmental, Regional and Transport. Chris Nees stated that the NEV dialogue mechanism has established an important platform for policy exchanges between New Zealand and China in the NEV field, and New Zealand is willing to continue cooperation with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology under this mechanism. Heads of relevant departments and bureaus of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology attended the dialogue.

China, New Zealand Hold Second NEV Dialogue in Beijing, Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation

【Bridge Green and Hartree Sign USD 500M+ Recycled Lithium Supply Agreement, ~10,000 Tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Per Year】US battery recycling company Bridge Green Upcycle and commodity trader Hartree Partners have signed an exclusive marketing and supply agreement, under which Hartree will obtain exclusive marketing rights for lithium carbonate produced by Bridge Green, with annual offtake of approximately 10,000 tonnes. The agreement has an initial term of 8 years, renewable for 7 years, with an estimated value of USD 500 million to USD 1 billion at current market conditions, with first deliveries expected in 2028. Bridge Green's India recycling center commenced operations in Q2 2026, with an annual lithium battery processing capacity of approximately 7,200 tonnes.

Bridge Green, Hartree Sign USD 500M+ Recycled Lithium Supply Deal, ~10Kt/yr

【Guizhou Saili's CNY 120M Spent Lithium Battery Recycling Project Completes EIA Disclosure, Annual Processing Capacity of 25,000 Tonnes】Guizhou Saili New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. has published the draft environmental impact assessment for its "Saili Green Recycling and High-Value Utilization Industrial Base for Spent Lithium Batteries in Guiyang Comprehensive Bonded Zone." The project has a total investment of CNY 120 million and will construct two spent lithium battery recycling and dismantling lines and one cathode and anode material crushing line, with an expected annual processing capacity of 25,000 tonnes of spent lithium batteries and electrode materials.

Guizhou Saili's CNY 120M Battery Recycling Project Completes EIA Disclosure, 25Kt/yr

【Guiqiu Huanneng's CNY 1.5B Project Lands in Li County, Hunan; Phase 1 to Process 100,000 Tonnes/yr of Retired Lithium Batteries】Guiqiu Huanneng Technology (Hunan) Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Shangao New Energy Group Co., Ltd. and Hunan Qiushui Changtian Environmental Energy Technology Co., Ltd., has landed in the Li County High-Tech Zone with a total investment of CNY 1.5 billion, to be developed in two phases. Phase 1, with an investment of CNY 500 million, will build production lines to process 100,000 tonnes per year of retired lithium batteries and photovoltaic modules. Phase 2, with an investment of CNY 1 billion, plans an annual production capacity of 1GWh of energy storage equipment.

Guiqiu Huanneng's CNY 1.5B Project Lands in Hunan, Phase 1 to Process 100Kt/yr

【Zhejiang Sanling Plans CNY 188M Project to Process 20,000 Tonnes/yr of Spent Lithium Batteries in Cixi】Ningbo Ecological Environment Bureau's Cixi Branch has published the environmental impact assessment for Zhejiang Sanling Resource Recycling Technology Co., Ltd.'s "Annual 20,000-Tonne Lithium Battery Comprehensive Resource Utilization Project." With a planned investment of CNY 188 million, the project will construct intelligent dismantling lines for spent battery packs, fully automated crushing and sorting lines, wet leaching lines for NMC and LFP black mass, lithium carbonate recovery lines, iron phosphate recovery lines, and supporting environmental protection facilities, achieving an annual processing capacity of 20,000 tonnes of spent lithium batteries upon completion.

Zhejiang Sanling Plans CNY 188M Project to Process 20Kt/yr Spent Lithium

【Boli Energy's CNY 8B LFP Battery Recycling Industrial Park Lands in Ulanqab, Plans Annual Dismantling of 500,000 Tonnes】Inner Mongolia Boli Energy Technology Co., Ltd.'s LFP battery recycling and circular utilization industrial park project has been established in the New Materials Industrial Park of Chahar Right Wing Rear Banner, Ulanqab, with a total investment of approximately CNY 8 billion covering around 1,050 mu of land. The project plans to dismantle 500,000 tonnes of spent lithium batteries annually, with associated production of 25,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate, 100,000 tonnes of iron phosphate, and 100,000 tonnes of LFP cathode materials per year. The project is currently in its preliminary stage, with environmental impact assessment, energy assessment, and land use procedures pending.

Boli Energy's CNY 8B LFP Battery Recycling Park Lands in Ulanqab, Plans 500Kt/yr

【Yaan XTC's CNY 4.375B LFP Recycling Project Completes First EIA Disclosure, Annual Black Mass Recycling Capacity of 200,000 Tonnes】Yaan XTC New Energy Materials Co., Ltd. has released the first environmental impact assessment (EIA) disclosure for its "LFP/LMFP Integrated Intelligent Recycling and Manufacturing Project." The project has a total investment of CNY 4.37458 billion, located in the Yongxing Chemical Park of Yaan Economic Development Zone. Upon completion, it will have an annual capacity to recycle 200,000 tonnes of spent LFP/LMFP battery black mass and produce 200,000 tonnes of LFP/LMFP cathode materials.

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