[SMM Tin Midday Review: Both Macro and Fundamental Performances Stabilized, Tin Prices Continued Wild Swings Fluctuating Trend in the Morning]

New Zealand’s Electricity Authority has introduced new rules to relax grid connection limits for solar and storage systems. Starting in late April 2026, residential solar and battery setups will receive a default export limit of at least 10 kW, with options for dynamic, flexible limits in some areas. This initiative aims to reduce network costs by maximizing the use of distributed energy and paving the way for technologies like vehicle-to-grid charging. Additionally, the industry is tasked with developing standardized assessment tools to streamline connections for larger projects and provide clearer investment transparency.

【SMM Steel】New Zealand is fast-tracking a 200,000 t/y EAF structural steel plant in Waikato by National Green Steel Ltd. to cut import reliance. The proposal includes a scrap shredder, EAF, and dedicated solar farm as part of the country's steel decarbonization plan. NZ Steel expects to start a new EAF at Glenbrook in Q2 2026. Australia's Sims Ltd. will supply scrap.

Rio Tinto May Restart the Fourth Production Line at New Zealand Aluminium Smelters As aluminum prices neared record highs, Rio Tinto considered restarting the fourth production line at Tiwai Point Rio Tinto was actively considering restarting the idle fourth production line at the Tiwai Point aluminum smelter near Bluff on New Zealand’s South Island. As global aluminum prices surged above $3,000/mt and hovered near a record high of around $3,148/mt—up 24% since month-end March 2025—the likelihood of reopening the smelter’s idle capacity continued to increase.

New Zealand recycling technology company Mint Innovation has partnered with electronics manufacturers to recover copper from electronic waste and reuse it in the production of specific electronic components. The initiative demonstrates the potential of closed-loop recycling within the electronics industry while reducing reliance on primary copper mining. Industry observers believe similar models could gradually expand across global electronics supply chains in the coming years.

Australia's large-scale solar and wind assets generated 5.0 TWh of clean energy in February 2026, an 11% year-on-year increase. New South Wales led total output, while Western Australia hosted the 'top-performing' individual assets by capacity factor, including the 100 MW Merredin Solar Farm (41.2%) and Warradarge wind farm (60.5%). Crucially, battery energy storage systems are rapidly scaling. Monthly grid discharges jumped 266% to 245 GWh, supported by an 8.2 GW utility battery pipeline. Meanwhile, New Zealand's utility solar and wind output grew 28% to 294 GWh.