The European Commission has decided to restrict EU funding—including through the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF)—for solar, wind, and battery energy storage projects utilizing inverters from high-risk countries, namely China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, citing cybersecurity risks. The policy, communicated to financial institutions, took effect on May 1, 2026. While initial media reports highlighted restrictions on photovoltaic solar projects, it is now confirmed that battery energy storage systems (BESS) are also included in the directive. The industry is awaiting the official publication of the new guidelines, as the Commission does not currently plan to issue a public announcement or press release on the matter.

[SMM Hydrogen Energy Brief: Two Group Standards for New Energy Hydrogen Production Officially Released and Implemented] It was learned on April 1 that two group standards in the field of new energy hydrogen production, led and compiled by the Xinjiang Design Branch of the Pipeline Design Institute and jointly co-compiled by 16 industry entities in China, had been officially approved, released, and implemented by the Standardization Working Committee of the China International Association for Promotion of Science and Technology. The two standards released are "Safety Technical Guidelines for Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Plants" and "Economic Operation Indicators and Calculation Methods for Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Plants," which will provide normative references for safe operations, economic operation, and indicator accounting in the water electrolysis hydrogen production industry.

Futures: Last Friday, LME lead opened at $1,950.5/mt. During the Asian session, LME lead moved sideways within the range of $1,948.5-1,955/mt, touching a low of $1,948.5/mt. Entering the European session, driven by continued inventory drawdowns ex-China, LME lead trended higher, reaching a high of $1,970/mt before pulling back slightly toward the close, ultimately settling at $1,960.5/mt, up 0.67%. Last Friday evening, the most-traded SHFE lead 2606 contract opened higher with a gap at 16,715 yuan/mt. It briefly dipped to 16,695 yuan/mt at the start of the session before rebounding to a high of 16,765 yuan/mt. Gains narrowed slightly toward the close, ultimately settling at 16,755 yuan/mt, up 85 yuan/mt or 0.51%. Open interest stood at 65,139 lots, down 4,365 lots from the previous trading day. Macro: On the macro front: A shooting occurred at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Trump stated that Iran could call if it wanted to negotiate. Washington D.C. Attorney General Piro announced the suspension of the investigation into Powell. Iran's foreign minister briefly revisited and then departed Pakistan, delivering ceasefire conditions to the Pakistani side. Iran's Deputy Speaker: Mojtaba ordered that the Strait of Hormuz must not return to its pre-war status. Russian President Putin may head to Miami, US, to attend the G20 summit. Azerbaijan sold gold worth $3 billion for the first time. The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued guidelines on strengthening services and management for new employment groups, mentioning enhanced governance of internet platform algorithms. Ministry of Finance: Securities transaction stamp tax revenue grew 78.1% in Q1. The CSRC announced that qualified foreign investors are allowed to participate in treasury bond futures trading. Spot Fundamentals: Last Friday, SHFE lead remained in the doldrums. Suppliers showed reduced willingness to make shipments, with fewer quotations. Meanwhile, premiums for primary lead cargoes self-picked up from production site showed little difference from the previous day. Mainstream production areas quoted at premiums of 0-50 yuan/mt above the SMM #1 lead price on an ex-works basis, while a few regions quoted at premiums of 120-150 yuan/mt. Secondary lead side, smelter maintenance increased and market quotations decreased, with secondary refined lead quoted at parity with the SMM #1 lead average price on an ex-works basis. Downstream enterprises maintained just-in-time procurement with limited inquiries, and spot order market trading activity declined. Inventory: As of April 24, LME lead inventory decreased by 950 mt to 270,025 mt. As of April 23, SMM lead ingot social inventory saw a slight buildup, with total volumes trending upward. Lead Price Forecast for Today: Currently, the lead-acid battery industry off-season continues, with production cuts expanding among downstream factories. Lead ingot procurement demand continued to weaken, driving a gradual social inventory buildup. Supply side, secondary lead enterprises in Anhui, Jiangsu and other regions saw further increases in production cuts, shutdowns, and maintenance, with regional spot supply continuing to shrink. However, last week, the operating rate of secondary lead smelters rebounded somewhat as scrap battery raw material inventory was replenished. Overall, bullish and bearish factors in the market counterbalanced each other, compounded by uncertainties in the macro environment, and lead prices are expected to remain in the doldrums in the short term.

The European Commission has moved to restrict funding for solar projects utilizing inverters from "high-risk vendors" to bolster cybersecurity. Effective immediately, new guidelines require compliance with strict security standards. Pipeline projects have specific transition windows (notification by May 1, 2026), while non-EU-connected projects must phase out high-risk hardware by April 15, 2027. This decision follows growing EU concern regarding over-reliance on limited inverter suppliers and potential security vulnerabilities, echoing recent preventative measures taken by nations including Lithuania and the Netherlands.

Capacity: according to incomplete statistics, China's alkaline electrolyzer market remained at 43.77 GW, the PEM electrolyzer market remained at 2.7 GW, with no new capacity additions for the time being. This week, CPU Hydrogen Power's independently developed 100 Nm³ containerized integrated hydrogen production system completed factory detection and was officially shipped to Sichuan; Trina Green Hydrogen completed the centralized delivery of a batch of 1,000 Nm³/h alkaline hydrogen production equipment, which had arrived at a large-scale green ammonia-methanol project site in China and was about to commence installation; Yigong completed the shipment and delivery of its independently developed and manufactured hydrogen compressor station units. Project-related updates: Jiamusi Hanya New Energy Co., Ltd. : officially signed a memorandum of cooperation in Hefei with Johnson Matthey, a global leader in sustainable technology, and East China Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd. The three parties will jointly advance the implementation of the 150,000 mt biomass green methanol demonstration project invested and constructed by Sunshine Green Energy in Tiandong County, Guangxi. Jiang Xi, Executive President of Sunshine Green Energy, Zhong Ling, General Manager of Johnson Matthey China, and Meng Chenzhou, General Manager of East China Engineering Science and Technology, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective parties. Zhongneng Kehang (Baotou) New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The annual 300 million m³ green electricity-to-hydrogen project received filing approval. The project is located in Jinshan Economic Development Zone, Guyang County, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with a total investment of 500 million yuan. Construction scale and content: 18 new hydrogen production lines, office buildings, workshops, shift dormitories, etc. Planned construction period: 2026/08–2028/07. Huawang (Qingdao) Hydrogen Energy Technology Group Co., Ltd.: plans to build a 5,000 Nm³/h PSA purification hydrogen production unit in Dongjiakou Chemical Industrial Park, Huangdao District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province. The project will utilize industrial by-product hydrogen resources within the park, and the purified hydrogen will be transported via pipeline to downstream hydrogen refueling stations. The company is now publicly soliciting interested partner manufacturers nationwide, collecting relevant equipment technical proposals and organizing evaluations. Suppliers with appropriate qualifications and project experience are welcome to participate. The project is located in Dongjiakou Chemical Industrial Park, Boli Town, Huangdao District, Qingdao City, with the liaison location at the Hydrogen Energy Building, Boli Town, West Coast New Area, Qingdao City. The available construction area for the unit is approximately 720 m² (30 m × 24 m). Bidding entities are required to complete the layout of process equipment, pipe racks, and maintenance access within the premises of meeting fire protection and safety clearance requirements. Utilities including electricity, circulating water, instrument air, nitrogen, and fire water can be connected to Jinneng Chemical's existing systems. Tieling Carbon Cycle Biotechnology Co., Ltd.: China Energy Engineering Group's CEEC Heilongjiang Institute won the EPC general contracting project for Tieling Carbon Cycle's biomass-to-green-methanol green electricity direct connection project. The project is located in the Chemical Industrial Park of Diaobingshan City, Tieling, Liaoning Province. In this phase, three 220 mt/h high-temperature and high-pressure circulating fluidized bed biomass boilers will be constructed, along with one 50 MW high-temperature and high-pressure extraction-condensing turbo-generator set. Supporting facilities including a desalinated water station, fuel storage yard, and main step-down substation will be built simultaneously. The project primarily provides green electricity and green steam for the overall green ethanol production project, serving as a supporting power plant project. Gansu Runlong Hongneng Energy Management Co., Ltd.: The Guazhou County wind and solar power hydrogen production coupled with biomass-based 250,000 mt/year green methanol integration project, with a total investment of 5.5 billion yuan, officially commenced construction at the Liugou Coal Chemical Industrial Park. The project is invested and constructed by Gansu Runlong Hongneng Energy Management Co., Ltd. It is a major construction reserve project listed by Gansu Province for 2026 and a key benchmark industrial project for Jiuquan City and Guazhou County. The project plans to build 390 MW wind power, 150 MW PV, with supporting 160 MW/320 MWh grid-forming ESS, 48,000 Nm³/h water electrolysis hydrogen production facilities, and a 250,000 mt/year green methanol synthesis unit, while simultaneously achieving biomass gasification synthesis coupled production. Adopting the "green electricity to green hydrogen + biomass gas synthesis" technology route, the project can achieve over 5% self-generated and self-consumed clean electricity, produce over 20,000 mt of green hydrogen annually, consume over 200,000 mt of agricultural and forestry waste annually, and build a zero-carbon energy and resource recycling system. China Energy Engineering Bochuang Green Fuel (Shenyang) Co., Ltd.: The Phase I 100,000 mt green methanol project of the Shenyang wind and solar power hydrogen production integrated with biomass green alcohol and oil demonstration project released an EPC general contracting tender announcement. Phase I construction includes 100 MW centralised wind power, 50 MW/100 MWh electrochemical energy storage, a 100,000 mt/year green methanol unit, and supporting facilities such as 360,000 mt/year biomass pretreatment. The biomass pretreatment plant produces 360,000 mt of biomass white pellets annually. The green methanol system is equipped with 3×1,000 Nm³/h electrolyser hydrogen production equipment, 60,000 Nm³ hydrogen storage tanks, two 600 mt/day pressurised fluidised bed gasification units, and a 100,000 mt/year methanol synthesis unit. The wind farm installs ten 10 MW wind turbines with a rotor diameter of 230 m and a wheel hub height of 160 m, connected to the project's supporting 66 kV step-down substation via two 66 kV overhead lines, with corresponding public auxiliary works constructed simultaneously. Zhongke Yitan Energy Technology (Chifeng) Co., Ltd.: The Hexigten Banner wind and solar power hydrogen-to-methanol and SAF integration project received filing approval. The project is located in Bayanduhumu Gacha, Darihanwula Sumu, Hexigten Banner, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The project entity is Zhongke Yitan Energy Technology (Chifeng) Co., Ltd., with a total investment of 7.5 billion yuan. Construction scale and content: 1. Construction of one water electrolysis hydrogen production line, including water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment, gas-liquid separation equipment, purification equipment, etc., with an annual green hydrogen output of 62,500 mt; 2. Construction of one green methanol synthesis production line, including biomass gasification equipment, combined purification equipment, methanol synthesis equipment, etc., with an annual green methanol production of 500,000 mt; 3. Construction of one SAF synthesis production line, with an annual SAF production of 100,000 mt. Planned construction period: 2026/05–2028/12. Jiamusi Hanya New Energy Co., Ltd. : China Energy Engineering CEPDI North China Institute signed a contract for the feasibility study and survey design of the Heilongjiang Huanan County 1.2 GW off-grid wind power hydrogen production and 500 MW grid-connected wind power project. In the off-grid wind power hydrogen-to-methanol project, the total installed wind power capacity is 1.2 GW, using 48 units with a single-unit capacity of 6.25 MW and 90 units with a single-unit capacity of 10 MW. The annual power generation of the wind farm is approximately 3.7 billion kWh, with approximately 3,081 annual equivalent full-load hours. Supporting construction includes four 220 kV step-up substations and ESS. After wind power hydrogen production, the hydrogen reacts with captured biomass carbon sources to produce methanol, with an annual methanol output of approximately 300,000 mt. Policy Review 1. The General Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other departments jointly issued the Guidelines for Green Design of Industrial Products (2026 Edition). The Guidelines mention: Developing green design solutions. Focusing on industries such as automobiles, construction machinery, machine tools, bearings, wind power equipment, hydrogen energy equipment, PV, lithium batteries, household appliances, packaging, detergents, textiles, biomanufacturing, methanol, and tyres, and targeting key directions of green design, the aim is to develop green design solutions that are technologically advanced, economically feasible, and supply-demand compatible, forming a batch of replicable and scalable exemplary green design solutions. The goal is to cultivate green design solution providers with high professional standards and strong service capabilities, and to build a virtuous ecosystem of "demand-driven — solution development — industrial application". 2. Opinions of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on Achieving Higher-Level and Higher-Quality Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction. The opinions aim to use transport energy conservation and carbon reduction and green energy transition as two key drivers, coordinate low-carbon development with energy security, and accelerate the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient modern energy and transport system. Enterprise Updates Shanghai Yigong Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The independently developed hydrogen compressor station unit completed delivery and shipment. The equipment will serve as the core power equipment for a hydrogen refueling station, applied in the Sinopec Shanghai Pudong Airport hydrogen refueling station project, providing high-pressure hydrogen refueling services for fuel cell logistics vehicles and tow tractors at the airport, and supporting the construction of a green, low-carbon, and smart integrated energy system at Pudong Airport. Lineng New Energy Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.: Hanshan County signed a contract with Lineng New Energy Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. for a carbon paper diffusion layer substrate material R&D and manufacturing project. This project is a localisation project for key materials of hydrogen fuel cells and will be established in Hanshan, Anhui Province. Jiangsu Trina Green Hydrogen Technology Co., Ltd.: A batch of 1,000 Nm³/h alkaline hydrogen production equipment was delivered in a centralised shipment. The equipment has arrived at a large-scale domestic green ammonia-methanol project site and is about to commence installation. All electrolysers delivered in this batch were shipped after passing detection at the hydrogen production testing platform at the Yangzhou base. The platform covers approximately 2,000 m², is compatible with full-range hydrogen production system testing from 500 to 2,000 Nm³/h, has cumulatively completed testing of equipment exceeding 50 MW in scale, and possesses full-process performance verification and three-tier safety management capabilities. Suzhou CPU Hydrogen Power Technology Co., Ltd. : The independently developed 100 Nm³ containerised integrated hydrogen production system completed factory detection and was officially shipped to Sichuan, where it will support a local central state-owned enterprise hydrogen production project. The equipment adopts a modular integrated design, integrating electrolysis hydrogen production, purification, and intelligent management processes into a standard container, offering the advantages of convenient transport and rapid installation, enabling "installation upon arrival, commissioning upon installation." The equipment is customised to operate 8,000 hours annually, producing 72 mt of high-purity hydrogen per year. All performance parameters meet the stringent requirements of central state-owned enterprises, ensuring stable and continuous industrial hydrogen supply. Huadian (Ningxia) Energy Co., Ltd.: The tender for the preparation of the planning report for the Ningdong and surrounding areas green hydrogen coupled coal chemical integration project was officially released. The project covers the Ningxia Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base and surrounding areas of Lingwu and Wuzhong, as well as the Ordos region of Inner Mongolia, planning to build a 10kt-level green hydrogen coupled coal chemical and cross-regional pipeline hydrogen transport system. The core project scale includes approximately 1.5 GW of new energy installed capacity, with supporting annual green hydrogen production of approximately 40,000 mt, for deep coupling with traditional coal chemical industries. According to the announcement, the winning bidder is required to complete the full set of planning reports within 180 days after the contract takes effect. The tender scope covers entire industry chain research, including regional industrial foundations, green hydrogen supply-demand and economic analysis, hydrogen storage and transport systems, key project planning, feasibility of green electricity-to-hydrogen layout, and energy and electricity policy consultation for both Ningxia and Inner Mongolia. China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co., Ltd.: Windey Energy Technology Group and China Marine Bunker officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Qin Ling, General Manager of China Marine Bunker, and Cheng Chenguang, General Manager of Windey Energy Technology Group, attended the ceremony and witnessed the signing. Under the agreement, both parties will focus on the core business of green fuel consumption and sales, deepening collaboration and synergising efforts in key areas such as specification and standard formulation, pricing mechanism development, and logistics and transport systems. By integrating resources and leveraging complementary strengths, they aim to jointly enhance the core competitiveness of the green shipping industry chain and inject new momentum into promoting high-quality transformation and green, low-carbon development of the shipping industry. Beijing Mingyang Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: Officially signed a series of hydrogen production equipment sales contracts with Spanish company KT. Under the agreement, Mingyang Hydrogen Energy will serve as the core hydrogen energy equipment and solution provider, supplying Spanish company KT with 1 MW AEM and 25 MW ALK complete hydrogen production systems and related supporting services, jointly opening a new chapter in in-depth Sino-Spanish green hydrogen industry cooperation. Hangyang Group Co., Ltd.: The company recently announced plans to invest in establishing Ordos Hangyang Gas Co., Ltd. (tentative name), constructing a new 70,000 Nm³/h air separation unit at the Dalu Industrial Park in Jungar Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, to provide critical gas supply for the Phase II expansion project of Inner Mongolia Tianrun Green Energy Chemical's 300,000 mt synthetic ammonia and 520,000 mt urea project. The park is a national-level modern coal chemical industry base in Inner Mongolia. Patent Applications 1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) published patent CN2025110028, developing a ceramic-based anion exchange membrane with a laboratory-tested lifespan of 80,000 hours. 2. Johnson Matthey (UK) filed patent WO2025109876, disclosing a Fe-Ni-Mo ternary non-precious metal catalyst formulation with activity approaching that of platinum-based materials. Technology Footprint / Technical Specifications 1. Petronor and H2SITE collaborated to advance membrane technology for hydrogen production, enhancing high-purity hydrogen and low-carbon efficiency in refining. 2. Dalian University of Technology designed an electron pump catalyst with an asymmetric photo-responsive structure, maintaining asymmetry in electron distribution. 3. The research team from the School of Electrical Engineering and the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment at Xi'an Jiaotong University successfully developed the Ru/Ti₃C₂Oₓ@NF bifunctional electrocatalyst for seawater electrolysis. 4. The team led by Professor Yu Ying at Central China Normal University developed a three-dimensional hierarchical nanostructured catalytic electrode as a core component for seawater hydrogen production. 5. Johnson Matthey and Syensqo achieved efficient recovery and recycling of platinum group metals and ionomers from PEM fuel cells and electrolysers, significantly reducing the carbon footprint.

[SMM Zinc Morning Meeting Minutes: US-Iran Ceasefire Extended, LME Zinc Rally Continues]: Overnight, LME zinc opened at $3,446/mt. After the opening, LME zinc fluctuated upward throughout the session, dipping to a low of $3,433.5/mt early in the session. Near the close, LME zinc touched a high of $3,491.5/mt, ultimately closing higher at $3,466.5/mt, up $29.5/mt...