Nuode (600110) disclosed its semi-annual report on July 30. H1 revenue was 6.433 billion yuan, up 113.33% YoY;net profit attributable to shareholders of the publicly listed firm was 103 million yuan, versus a loss of 72.4329 million yuan in the same period last year, marking a turnaround to profitability YoY; basic earnings per share was 0.0598 yuan.During the reporting period, the supply-demand pattern of the lithium battery copper foil industry experienced a complete reversal:outdated low-end capacity continued to exit the market, the rollout of new capacity in the industry slowed down, and combined with the surge in demand from both power batteries and energy storage, copper foil processing fees bottomed out. Leveraging its differentiated product portfolio of ultra-thin lithium battery copper foil and high-end electronic copper foil, the company successfully achieved a turnaround to profitability, with overall profitability improving significantly QoQ and YoY.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast held a summit in Santiago, and on Thursday the two countries signed five memorandums of understanding, including a mineral resources cooperation document aimed at deepening cooperation in the lithium and copper supply chains.Lee Jae-myung stated that the two countries are "natural and ideal partners" in the field of critical minerals. He pointed out that Chile is the world's largest copper producer and possesses the world's largest lithium reserves, while South Korea has global leading advantages in high-end industries such as semiconductors and power batteries.This mineral cooperation agreement elevates bilateral relevant cooperation to the ministerial level, and plans to expand entire industry chain cooperation for core resources such as lithium and copper, covering information sharing, technology cooperation, and personnel exchanges.

[SMM Express] Zimbabwe's mineral export earnings jumped 84.7% in H1 2026 to US$2.532 billion, up from US$1.376 billion a year earlier, according to Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe data. The surge was led by PGM matte, spodumene concentrate and PGM concentrates, which together accounted for over 74% of earnings — a marked departure from previous years when gold and raw chrome dominated the export mix. Within that shift, ferrochrome was singled out as one of the processed products "steadily supplanting raw mineral exports," alongside refined steel, polished granite and lithium sulphate. MMCZ's General Manager framed the change as evidence of beneficiation policy taking hold, with processed chrome product gradually displacing unprocessed ore in Zimbabwe's export basket. Industry stakeholders have also called for tighter mineral-tracking systems to guard against smuggling and transfer-pricing risk as the value of processed mineral exports rises.

Zambian Ministry of Mines is advancing a proposal for a pan-African minerals and metals exchange to give producer nations greater control over mineral trading and pricing. Adviser Jito Kayumba said the plan builds on Zambia's metals-trading tie-up with Mercuria and has already been discussed with the DRC and two undisclosed countries. For lithium, the move aligns with Zimbabwe's SC6 export controls and Mali's Goulamina ramp-up, and could eventually offer an alternative to CIF China spodumene pricing as African-origin volumes grow through ports like Walvis Bay and Beira. DRC's Manono project (targeting 1Mt/y spodumene) would also fall within scope. SMM view: Early-stage and non-binding no confirmed members, governance, or timeline. Relevant to watch for delivered-cost and netback benchmarking on Zimbabwe/Mali/DRC assets, but limited near-term pricing impact.

Thermal energy storage provider Antora Energy has closed a $550 million Series C funding round to accelerate deployment of its thermal battery systems for industrial facilities and data centers in the United States. While not a lithium-ion BESS, the raise is significant for the broader storage sector as it demonstrates investor willingness to fund alternative long-duration storage technologies. Antora’s systems store energy as heat and deliver both electricity and industrial process heat, addressing a segment of the market that electrochemical batteries cannot serve. The funding round, one of the largest for a non-lithium storage technology this year, signals growing diversification in the U.S. storage investment landscape beyond conventional battery chemistries.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has officially approved a €100 million (approximately $114 million) loan to Gotion Power Morocco, a subsidiary of Gotion High‑Tech, for the construction of the first lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery gigafactory in Africa and the MENA region. As the lead arranger under the “New Architecture for Financing Africa's Development” (NAFAD) initiative, the AfDB also plans to raise up to an additional €141 million from partner financial institutions to ensure sufficient project funding. The project is located in Phase III of the Kenitra Atlantic Free Zone, in the Rabat‑Salé‑Kenitra region of Morocco, and covers the full industrial chain from cathode material production, cell manufacturing, to battery pack assembly. Phase I is planned with an annual capacity of 10 GWh for EV battery cells and packs; with subsequent phased expansions, the total capacity is expected to gradually reach 100 GWh in the long term. Phase I is projected to directly create more than 600 high‑skilled jobs and raise Morocco's local industrial integration rate to 70%, significantly boosting the local supplier ecosystem and technical workforce development. AfDB Vice President Kevin Kariuki noted that battery energy storage is the “missing piece” in Africa's clean energy transition. The plant will primarily operate on renewable energy (wind and solar power), which will not only support large‑scale grid integration of new energy but also provide low‑carbon and reliable energy storage solutions. Leveraging Morocco's abundant phosphate resources and China's advanced battery refining and manufacturing technologies, the project will accelerate the local high‑value‑added conversion of critical minerals, shifting away from the traditional export of raw materials. It will help Morocco establish itself as a green mobility industrial hub serving both Europe and the entire African continent. This investment is highly aligned with the AfDB's four strategic pillars: resilient infrastructure development, accelerated industrialization, regional integration, and value addition to natural resources. It marks a milestone in the improvement of Africa's new energy industrial chain.