According to the Ministry of Energy, President Hakainde Hichilema has commissioned the 100 MW Phase II expansion of the Chisamba Solar Power Plant in Central Province, bringing the facility's total installed capacity to 200 MW. The project represents another step in Zambia's efforts to diversify its electricity generation mix and strengthen energy security as demand from key economic sectors continues to increase. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, President Hichilema said additional generation capacity would support households, businesses and industrial development, while highlighting the importance of reducing Zambia's dependence on hydropower. The country experienced significant electricity supply challenges during recent drought conditions, which affected hydropower generation and placed pressure on energy-intensive industries. ZESCO Managing Director Justine Loongo said the project created approximately 1,480 jobs during construction, with 95% of positions filled by local residents, highlighting the wider economic benefits of energy infrastructure investment. The expansion comes as Zambia aims to significantly increase copper production towards its long-term target of 3 million tonnes annually. Copper mining operations require large and stable electricity supplies for activities including ore processing, concentration and smelting. Recent power shortages demonstrated the vulnerability of relying heavily on hydropower, particularly during periods of low rainfall. By expanding solar generation capacity, Zambia is strengthening the resilience of its national power system and creating additional support for future mining investments, including new copper projects, mine expansions and processing facilities. A more diversified energy mix could help reduce operational risks for mining companies and improve the country's ability to attract further investment into the copper sector.

Commodity trader Trafigura has withdrawn from a proposed 2,000 MW electricity transmission project intended to supply surplus Angolan hydropower to copper and cobalt mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, according to foreign media reports. The initiative originated in July 2024 when Trafigura signed a non-binding agreement with engineering firm ProMarks and the Angolan government to conduct feasibility studies for a high-voltage interconnector. According to foreign media reports, the line aimed to monetize Angola's northern hydropower capacity to help alleviate chronic electricity deficits affecting mining assets in the Central African Copperbelt. The withdrawal highlights the complex financing and risk dynamics associated with large-scale cross-border energy infrastructure in emerging markets, as reliable grid power remains a primary constraint for scaling up copper and cobalt production across Zambia and the DRC. According to foreign media reports, despite Trafigura's exit, other transmission ventures linking Angola to regional mining centers are progressing. These include Meridia Energy's planned Lauca–Kolwezi line (1,400 MW) and Soyo–Inga–Cabinda line (800 MW), targeted for commercial operation by 2030, as well as a separate $1.5 billion interconnector proposed by U.S.-based HYDRO-LINK aimed at Lualaba and Katanga provinces. While the delay of this specific 2,000 MW line creates a short-term hurdle for cross-border power sharing, broader efforts to connect Angola's surplus generation to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and Copperbelt miners remain active under revised consortia, according to foreign media reports.

Alvance British Aluminium is carrying out a maintenance and upgrade programme at its Lochaber Power Station to ensure reliable renewable power for its Lochaber aluminium smelter. As part of the 2026 programme, all five hydro generators will undergo inspection and refurbishment, while two additional Automatic Voltage Regulators (AVRs) will be installed under a £400,000 three-year investment plan. The upgrades are expected to enhance power reliability, support low-carbon primary aluminium production, and strengthen grid balancing services.

SMM, July 21 – To deepen industry exchanges, smooth information channels, and accurately grasp development trends and market dynamics in the zinc and indium sectors, on July 21, a team from SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. (SMM) — including Geng Zhiyao, Senior Analyst for Copper, Lead and Zinc; Li Hanyu, Senior Zinc Analyst; and Dai Junxiu, Senior Business Manager — visited Yunnan Tin Wenshan Zinc Indium Smelting Co., Ltd. for an exchange and was warmly received by relevant leaders of the company. During the exchange, the two parties had in-depth discussions on core industry topics, such as current zinc and indium price trends, the enterprise’s comprehensive recovery technologies for zinc and indium metals, existing production and processing capacity, and the regional layout of new mine capacity. Meanwhile, the SMM team introduced in detail the platform’s existing pricing system, pricing logic, and mainstream market application scenarios, conducted in-depth exchanges with the enterprise on industry pricing standards and market quotation applications, fully listened to frontline production and market demands, and further broke down information barriers between upstream and downstream. This visit effectively consolidated the foundation for information sharing across the industry and provided strong support for accurately assessing zinc and indium market trends and promoting the green, high-quality, and standardized development of the industry. Profile of Yunnan Tin Wenshan Zinc Indium Smelting Co., Ltd. Yunnan Tin Wenshan Zinc Indium Smelting Co., Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yunnan Tin Co., Ltd. Established in May 2016 with a registered capital of 1.1 billion yuan and 843 registered employees, it is a state-owned enterprise integrating production, R&D, and trade, mainly engaged in the smelting, processing, sales, and trading of non-ferrous metals and ore products. After six years of independent process and equipment R&D, the company overcame the industrialization challenges of hematite technology and equipment. In 2018, it invested 2.44 billion yuan to build China’s first and the world’s second demonstration plant for hematite iron removal hydrometallurgical zinc smelting. The plant reached full production and standards within one year, with core indicators leading the industry: zinc recovery rate >98%, indium recovery rate >83%, copper recovery rate >95%, lead and silver recovery rate >99%, iron resource utilization rate >95%, comprehensive energy consumption for zinc electrowinning 99.96%, and tail gas SO 2 <60 mg/Nm 3 . Leveraging its technological and green development strengths, the company has received more than 30 honors, including national-level “Quality Engineering” award, national-level specialized and sophisticated key “Little Giant” enterprise, national-level green factory, and high-tech enterprise. It holds 42 authorized patents (including 21 invention patents), and three of its core technologies have won the First Prize of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Science and Technology Award. The “New Green and Efficient Zinc Smelting Technology for Complex Polymetallic Iron-bearing Sphalerite” and the “Hematite Process for Iron Removal and Zinc Smelting” have been respectively listed by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and other authorities in the industry carbon peak action plan and energy-saving and carbon-reduction guide, and are promoted as key advanced technologies. SMM Contact: Geng Zhiyao Tel: 13818541149

Recently, Inner Mongolia Hydrogen Power Technology Co., Ltd. completed a filing amendment for the Dalad Banner Grid-Side (Incremental Distribution Network) Standalone Energy Storage Demonstration Project, with simultaneous adjustments to the project's construction content and certain technical plans. This amendment involves multiple aspects including investment scale, energy storage configuration, hydrogen storage systems, and hydrogen transmission facilities, further optimizing the project construction plan. According to the filing information, the total investment of the project has been adjusted from 194.8091 million yuan to 153.332 million yuan , and the energy storage scale has been adjusted from the originally planned 8MW/72MWh to 2MW/4MWh. The number of hydrogen fuel cell power generation systems has been adjusted from 8 to 2, the hydrogen storage system capacity has been adjusted from 108,000 standard cubic meters to 90,000 standard cubic meters, and the hydrogen storage equipment has been simultaneously optimized to a 2,000-cubic-meter, 1.6 MPa spherical tank hydrogen storage system, with the number of hydrogen storage tanks adjusted from 4 to 3. At the same time, the project adds new construction content, including facilities related to the hydrogen production process, an emergency oil pool, an electrical building, battery cabins, a pump house, a maintenance workshop, an air compressor room, a hazardous waste storage room, a hydrogen production machine room, and other supporting facilities, along with the completion of auxiliary works such as production areas, office buildings, and ground hardening. It is noteworthy that the project adds the construction of approximately 10 kilometers of pure hydrogen transmission pipeline , with a design pressure of 2.0 MPa and an annual hydrogen transmission capacity of approximately 4,000 mt, which will further enhance the project's hydrogen delivery capability. The project site is located within the Dalad Economic Development Zone, Dalad Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, and the construction unit is Inner Mongolia Hydrogen Power Technology Co., Ltd. According to the plan, construction of the project is planned to begin in September 2025, with completion and operation is expected in December 2026.

Recently, Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Technology Equipment Co., Ltd. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary has officially signed a supply agreement with RCT GH GmbH (hereinafter referred to as "RCT Hydrogen") to provide core hydrogen production equipment for a 10MW green hydrogen project in Portugal. This is one of the larger commercial green hydrogen projects in the region, and also marks GuoFu Hydrogen's further expansion into the European green hydrogen equipment market through a localized cooperation model. It is understood that the project is located in the Port of Sines, Portugal, and is planned to include a 10MW alkaline pressurized electrolyzer hydrogen production system, complemented by a green hydrogen refueling station network and EV ultra-fast charging facilities, aiming to build a comprehensive green energy hub integrating hydrogen production, storage, and refueling . According to the plan, the project is planned to complete delivery within 2026 and is expected to be officially put into operation in 2027. Once completed, the green hydrogen produced will mainly supply the transportation sector, while also being injected into the natural gas pipeline network operated by Portuguese energy enterprise EDP, further improving the comprehensive utilization level of green hydrogen and supporting the low-carbon transformation of the local energy mix. This cooperation represents a significant step in GuoFu Hydrogen's internationalization strategy, further enhancing the company's business presence in the European green hydrogen equipment market and providing a new practical case for domestically produced hydrogen equipment participating in green hydrogen project construction outside China.