SMM December 18 News:
Second-life application market this week:
This week, in the second-life application market, ternary B-grade battery cell prices continued their previous upward trend. This movement resulted from the combined effects of cost support, supply contraction, and demand absorption. The specific driving logic is as follows: Cost side, rising raw material prices provided core support for battery cell prices. As a key raw material for ternary battery cell production, cobalt salt market prices remained stable at high levels, while lithium chemicals prices rose further this week. If these dual cost pressures are transmitted to the battery cell production stage, they would continuously raise the cost floor for ternary B-grade battery cells, forming a fundamental factor for price increases. Supply side, tightening supply exacerbated the supply-demand imbalance. As the end of 2025 approached, the ESS market experienced a year-end installation rush, coupled with sustained growth in overseas orders. Major battery producers shifted their output toward more profitable and urgently demanded ESS battery cells and A-grade power battery cells. This capacity adjustment directly squeezed the production scale of ternary B-grade battery cells. Among them, the 50-60Ah specification, suitable for segmented scenarios such as battery swapping, saw more significant supply contraction, becoming a key driver for the overall price increase. Demand side, stable absorption provided necessary conditions for the price rise. Recent ESS market demand remained robust, and while the EV market demand showed no significant increase, it remained stable. The rigid demand from these two core areas effectively absorbed ternary B-grade battery cells, providing a market foundation for price increases.
Considering the current market landscape, overall demand in the second-life application market will remain stable in the short term, which constitutes a clear constraint on price increases. Therefore, battery cell prices are unlikely to fluctuate significantly. However, it is worth noting that although there is a lag in the transmission of cost pressures from rising lithium chemicals prices, they will still provide some upward momentum for ternary B-grade battery cell prices in the short term, leaving room for slight price increases.
SMM New Energy Research Team
Wang Cong 021-51666838
Ma Rui 021-51595780
Feng Disheng 021-51666714
Lyu Yanlin 021-20707875
Lei Yue 021-20707873
