On March 16, Sichuan Xingkong Sodium-ion Battery Co., Ltd. and BASF officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Dazhou, Sichuan. The two parties will engage in in-depth collaboration across three key dimensions: R&D of core materials for sodium-ion batteries, coordination of the industry chain, and international product development, injecting new momentum into the technological advancement and global expansion of the sodium-ion battery sector. This partnership will focus on joint R&D of cutting-edge sodium-ion battery technologies, covering the entire material chain, including ESS parts, battery pack modules, and battery cells. Key areas of emphasis include thermal management, structural design, electrochemical performance enhancement, and material system optimization. Additionally, the collaboration aims to jointly overcome critical technical bottlenecks such as bamboo charcoal anodes and Prussian blue cathodes, driving the iteration of next-generation sodium-ion battery technologies. Simultaneously, BASF will provide Xingkong Sodium-ion Battery with high-quality raw material supplies. The two parties will also work together to develop customized energy storage solutions and establish a shared after-sales service system, accelerating the industrialisation of R&D achievements.

On March 17, Shengquan Group (605589.SH) disclosed on the investor interaction platform that the company had completed construction of a 10 kt sodium-ion battery hard carbon anode production line. Products developed based on the dual technology routes of biomass refining and resin have successfully entered the supply chains of leading battery cell enterprises and can be adapted to multiple application scenarios including energy storage and 3C. The industrialisation layout of sodium-ion battery materials has achieved a key breakthrough.

On March 17, the Phase I Expansion Stage 1 Project of CATL's Innovation Laboratory Construction completed the public notice for the completion environmental protection acceptance. The project is located in the Dongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone, Ningde, Fujian, with an actual construction investment of 80 million yuan. This acceptance was a phased acceptance, further strengthening the hardware support for sodium-ion battery R&D.

The listing-based trading on the Anhuida platform under the SMM Trading Center has remained active. The platform’s listing hall brings together high-quality supply sources across diverse non-ferrous metal categories, with top-tier enterprises launching bulk lots one after another. Through the efficient integration of self-listing and intelligent matching models with the supply and demand of upstream and downstream players in the industry chain, it has become an important matchmaking channel for spot trading in non-ferrous metals. To date, the platform has attracted a cumulative total of 10,171 registered enterprises, with cumulative transaction value reaching 1.98328 billion yuan and cumulative trading volume totaling 49.5719 million mt. Its trading scale and industry influence have steadily increased. As a concentration- and transparency-driven spot trading segment for non-ferrous metals, the Anhuida platform’s listing hall covers common non-ferrous metals such as copper, aluminum, zinc, and nickel, as well as new energy and minor metal categories including tin ingot and battery-grade nickel sulphate. It supports enterprises in independently publishing buy and sell intentions and offers multiple trading methods such as direct connection and intelligent matching, enabling buyers and sellers to quickly present their needs and identify counterparties, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of spot trading. Recently, the platform has featured a rich variety of popular listed categories with ample supply. It includes listings of scarce categories such as imported Indonesian tin ingot, while core new energy raw materials such as battery-grade nickel sulphate have also been launched in batches. Top industry enterprises including MCC Ramu New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and Wanhua Chemical (Yantai) Battery Industry Co., Ltd. have all published multiple batches of battery-grade nickel sulphate sales listings on the platform, with single-batch listing Volume ranging from 66 mt to 99 mt. This has provided upstream and downstream enterprises in the new energy industry chain with stable and high-quality supply channels, effectively ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the industry chain and supply chain. With its concentrated and transparent trading environment and flexible, diversified trading methods, the Anhuida platform’s listing hall has continued to build an efficient bridge for supply and demand matching in the non-ferrous metals industry, helping enterprises reduce transaction communication costs and optimize resource allocation. In the future, the platform will continue to enrich listed categories and improve trading functions, further invigorating the spot trading market for non-ferrous metals. Trading Platform Link: Contact for Inquiries: 021-51666886 Inquiry Email: anhuida@smm.cn

SMM, March 18: The most-traded SHFE lead 2604 contract opened at 16,695 yuan/mt during the day, with prices fluctuating rangebound in the 16,665–16,720 yuan/mt range in early trading. Before noon, SHFE lead prices rose rapidly and touched a high of 16,785 yuan/mt before pulling back amid fluctuations. The tug-of-war between longs and shorts intensified, and prices remained rangebound within 16,610–16,680 yuan/mt before closing at 16,645 yuan/mt, posting a small bullish candlestick, up 45 yuan/mt, or 0.27%. At present, lead prices have stopped falling and rebounded, gradually returning to being driven by fundamentals. On the supply side, ex-works inventory at primary lead smelters continued to be digested, and some suppliers held prices firm in spot lead shipments, providing relatively strong spot support; willingness to sell among secondary lead suppliers diverged, and most enterprises became more reluctant to sell due to losses combined with bullish expectations, leading to a continued contraction in effective market supply. On the demand side, orders from downstream battery plants increased, and production remained at full capacity, providing positive support for lead prices. However, social inventory of lead ingot is still on an upward trend. In addition, as more smelters resume production in mid-to-late March and capacity is gradually released, market circulation will further increase, and lead prices are expected to have limited upward momentum. Data source statement: Except for public information, all other data is processed and derived by SMM for reference only based on public information, market communication, and SMM's internal database models, and does not constitute decision-making advice.

On March 18, the SMM average price of battery-grade nickel sulphate remained unchanged.