July 20, 2026 Since the spring of 2026, something unusual has been unfolding in the gold market. Countries that had been among the world's largest buyers of gold for years have suddenly begun selling their reserves. These sales are taking place quietly. They are not announced publicly, and the transactions only appear in central bank data weeks or even months later. Those who look closely quickly realize that these are not routine portfolio adjustments. Instead, something far more significant is happening right before our eyes, largely unnoticed. What we are witnessing is a silent emergency response to an economic shock that is placing enormous strain on the global financial system: the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a consequence of the Iran war. The logic becomes clear once the underlying mechanism is understood. Roughly 20% of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. If that route is blocked, oil prices rise sharply, forcing oil-importing countries to obtain additional U.S. dollars to pay their energy bills. For a central bank, the fastest way to raise those dollars is by selling its most liquid dollar-denominated assets—typically U.S. Treasury securities. However, once those holdings have been largely exhausted and additional dollars are still required, gold often becomes the only remaining dollar-convertible reserve asset. Turkey Illustrates the Entire Drama No country demonstrates this process more clearly than Turkey. In March 2026, following the U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran that began in late February, the Turkish central bank reduced its holdings of U.S. Treasuries from US$15.7 billion to US$1.8 billion —a reduction of nearly 90% in just one month . Once that buffer had been depleted, the central bank turned to its gold reserves. During the first two weeks of the Iran war alone, it sold or pledged approximately 58 tonnes of gold , worth around US$8 billion , from reserves totaling roughly US$130 billion . This was not a strategic shift away from gold. Rather, it was a sign of financial distress. After all, no country willingly sells its gold simply to pay for gasoline and diesel as long as better alternatives remain available. Turkey is not an isolated case. It is merely the most visible example of a broader group of countries that Jay Martin , publisher of the commodity newsletter Capital 10X , describes as "oil-importing emerging markets." This group includes India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Egypt, Pakistan, Vietnam, and South Africa . They all share two characteristics: they depend heavily on imported oil, and they hold a significant portion of their national savings in U.S. Treasury securities. When oil prices surge, these countries are among the first to come under financial pressure. The Sri Lanka Pattern: When Running Out of Money Leads to Empty Shelves Sri Lanka's experience in 2022 demonstrates what happens once a country has exhausted its reserves. The country imports nearly everything required to keep its economy functioning—fuel, medicine, and food—and pays for those imports in U.S. dollars. When tourism collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lanka's foreign exchange reserves fell from US$7.6 billion at the end of 2019 to just US$50 million by the spring of 2022. The consequences were as predictable as they were dramatic. Fuel first became scarce and eventually disappeared altogether. Medicines could no longer be purchased abroad. Food prices skyrocketed, while nationwide power outages lasted for hours at a time. Public anger escalated rapidly. In July 2022, hundreds of thousands of protesters stormed the presidential residence, forcing the country's president to flee. The difference between then and now is crucial. Sri Lanka's crisis resulted from the collapse of tourism and affected only one country. A global energy shock, by contrast, affects many countries simultaneously. The chain reaction, however, is identical. Every country that sells U.S. Treasuries puts downward pressure on bond prices, making other countries nervous and encouraging them to sell as well. Each sale increases the likelihood of the next. What Washington Is Really Doing—And What It Reveals Two quiet actions by the U.S. government demonstrate how seriously Washington views the situation. First, the United States is drawing down its Strategic Petroleum Reserve at a record pace. Anyone who believes this is primarily intended to help American motorists ahead of the congressional elections in November is not entirely wrong—but that explanation does not tell the whole story. The U.S. is also shipping part of those reserves overseas, an unusual move given that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is intended for domestic emergencies. Second, in an effort to reduce mounting pressure on the U.S. Treasury market, the U.S. Treasury Department has quietly eased sanctions on Russian oil twice. This is occurring in the middle of a war in which Russia is on the opposing side. That step is equally extraordinary and suggests that the United States itself is under considerable pressure. The motivation behind both measures is the same. Washington wants to prevent vulnerable emerging-market economies from collapsing and triggering a wave of Treasury selling that could destabilize the U.S. bond market. Falling prices for U.S. government bonds mean weaker investor demand and higher borrowing costs for issuers. Neither outcome is desirable for U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his preference for lower interest rates. If the system were truly stable, none of these extraordinary measures would be necessary. Their implementation suggests that the pressure is not confined to individual emerging markets. The United States itself now finds it necessary to intervene in order to stabilize global financial markets. Source： https://goldinvest.de/en/why-countries-are-selling-their-gold-and-what-s-really-behind-it

Shanghai Relun New Material Technology Co., Ltd. operates multiple production lines, including precision casting, centrifugal casting, sand casting, wax casting, and vacuum negative-pressure casting. With strong technical expertise, advanced production processes, and comprehensive physical and chemical testing capabilities, we welcome insightful individuals in and outside China to visit, offer guidance, discuss business, pursue mutual development, and create greater brilliance together.

On July 16, GAC Group announced its 30 millionth finished vehicle rolled off the production line, which is the overseas version of M8 PHEV. Following FAW Group, SAIC Motor, Dongfeng Motor and Changan Automobile, GAC becomes China’s fifth automotive conglomerate to hit the 30-million-unit production milestone. GAC Group stated that the output of 30 million vehicles represents the choice and trust of 30 million household customers. Statistics show the group sold 144,866 vehicles in June, down 3.47% year-on-year; cumulative sales for the year reached 773,085 units, a year-on-year increase of 2.35%.

SMM July 16 news: Metal market: Overnight, base metals on both domestic and overseas markets generally fell. Only LME nickel rose, up 0.48%. SHFE tin led the decline with a 2.04% drop. LME tin and SHFE zinc both fell over 1%, with LME tin down 1.33% and SHFE zinc down 1.03%. Gains in other metals were all within 1%. Alumina main contract rose 0.18%, while cast aluminum main contract fell 0.28%. Overnight in the ferrous metals sector, iron ore closed flat at 759.5 yuan/mt. Rebar, HRC, and stainless steel all saw slight fluctuations in gains. For coking coal and coke, coking coal fell 0.11%, while coke rose 0.63%. Overnight in precious metals, COMEX gold fell 0.07%, while COMEX silver fell 1.7%. Domestically, SHFE gold rose 0.03%, while SHFE silver fell 1.43%. As of 6:49 a.m. on July 16, overnight closing prices: Macro Front Domestic side: [National Bureau of Statistics (NBS): H1 GDP Up 4.7% YoY, National Economy Operating Within a Reasonable Range, New Momentum Growing Rapidly] NBS data showed that preliminary estimates indicate H1 GDP reached 69,570.4 billion yuan, up 4.7% YoY based on constant prices. By industry, primary industry added value was 3,152.2 billion yuan, up 3.7% YoY; secondary industry added value was 25,047.3 billion yuan, up 3.9% YoY; and tertiary industry added value was 41,370.9 billion yuan, up 5.2% YoY. In terms of quarters, Q1 GDP rose 5.0% YoY, while Q2 grew 4.3% YoY. On a QoQ basis, Q2 GDP increased 0.9%. Overall, the national economy operated within a reasonable range in H1, with new quality productive forces being cultivated and strengthened, and high-quality development progressing with new improvements. However, we must also note that external uncertainties and destabilizing factors remain abundant, and the contradiction between strong domestic supply and weak demand is still pronounced; the foundation for economic improvement needs to be further consolidated. In the next stage, we will adhere to the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, improving quality and efficiency, intensifying counter-cyclical and cross-cyclical adjustments, continuously expanding domestic demand and optimizing supply, enhancing growth drivers while revitalizing existing resources, focusing on building a strong domestic market, accelerating the cultivation of new growth momentum, and intensifying efforts to stabilize employment, enterprises, markets, and expectations, so as to promote effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth of the economy. [PBoC: H1 Aggregate Social Financing Increased by 20.84 Trillion, New Loans 10.72 Trillion, June M2 Up 8% YoY] Preliminary PBoC statistics show that the outstanding stock of aggregate social financing at end-June 2026 was 462.06 trillion yuan, and the cumulative increase in aggregate social financing in H1 was 20.84 trillion yuan, up 7.4% YoY. In H1, RMB loans increased by 10.72 trillion yuan. At end-June, the balance of broad money (M2) was 356.71 trillion yuan, up 8% YoY. That of narrow money (M1) was 118.48 trillion yuan, up 4% YoY. The balance of currency in circulation (M0) was 14.74 trillion yuan, up 11.8% YoY. In H1, net cash injection was 641.7 billion yuan. On the dollar front: As of the overnight close, the US dollar index fell 0.42% to 100.51, recording a two-session losing streak. The US Fed's latest Beige Book showed that from late May through June, US economic activity improved mildly, with 11 of the 12 Fed districts achieving growth. Inflation was mild overall, but forecasts for the inflation outlook varied across districts, and uncertainty over energy prices was the biggest variable affecting the outlook. The labour market was solid, with employment expanding slightly, but a shortage of skilled workers pushed up wages. (Wall Street Insights) Buffett Warren said that the new Fed Chairman Warsh Kevin is the "right person" for the position. "I think he will do his best to fulfil the task entrusted to him, which is to achieve 2% inflation and maintain full employment." "He cannot be perfect, just as I know I cannot be perfect in managing other people's money and earning excess returns." "He has the country's interests at heart, and I believe many Fed officials do as well. That does not mean their decisions are always perfect, but sometimes those decisions are indeed extremely difficult." (CNBC) President Trump Donald stated that pausing rate action would be better than raising rates for the Fed. He reiterated his desire for (policy) rates to fall, saying, "we should have the lowest interest rates in the world." "I respect Fed Chairman Warsh." Fed Governor Cook Lisa stated that as artificial intelligence (AI) buildouts continue and recent supply shocks push up prices, the risk of persistently high inflation outweighs the risk of a weakening labour market. In a speech prepared for an event in Washington on Wednesday, Cook Lisa said, "If we do not soon see signs that inflation continues to pull back, I am prepared to act. I am firmly committed to achieving the inflation target, and this commitment will not waver." (from the Wall Street Insights APP) According to the CME "FedWatch": The probability of the Fed keeping rates unchanged in July was 88.8%, and the probability of a cumulative 25bp rate hike was 11.2%. The probability of the Fed keeping rates unchanged in September was 51.2%, that of a cumulative 25bp hike was 44%, and that of a cumulative 50bp hike was 4.7%. (Jin10 Data APP) On the macro front: Today, data to be released include the US initial jobless claims for the week ending July 11, US June retail sales MoM, US July Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index, US July NAHB housing market index, US May business inventories MoM, US June pending home sales index MoM, as well as UK May three-month GDP MoM, UK May manufacturing output MoM, UK May seasonally adjusted goods trade balance, UK May industrial production MoM, etc. Furthermore, the Ministry of Commerce held its second regular press conference of July, US Fed Governor Lisa Cook spoke on the economic outlook, US Vice President Vance delivered remarks, the US Fed released its Beige Book on economic conditions, US President Trump delivered a speech, 2028 FOMC voting member and St. Louis Fed President Musalem gave a speech, and TSMC held its Q2 2026 earnings call. Crude oil: As of the overnight close, oil prices on both sides of the Atlantic rose, with WTI up 1.13% and Brent up 0.39%, both recording a third consecutive session of gains as the market continued to monitor US-Iran developments. Goldman Sachs: If the prolonged disruption to Gulf exports persists and delays the production rebound, Brent crude prices could break above $110 per barrel in Q4 2026. (Jin10 Data) US Energy Information Administration (EIA): US EIA crude oil inventories fell by 1.69 million barrels last week. Bloomberg users had expected a draw of 2 million barrels, analysts had forecast a decline of 1.962 million barrels, following an increase of 2.998 million barrels the prior week. Gasoline inventories on the US Gulf Coast hit their lowest level since September 2017. Fuel stockpile supply fell to its lowest since May 2025. (From Wall Street CN App) As the US reinstated its maritime blockade against Iran, two tankers carrying Iranian crude that appeared to be bound for Pakistan have turned back. Vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show the Rani and Amil, carrying a combined 1 million barrels of crude, briefly signaled Karachi as their destination before turning around on Wednesday. The two tankers were already outside the Persian Gulf when the US reimposed the maritime blockade on Iranian shipping. US Central Command said Wednesday that it had diverted two merchant vessels attempting to breach the blockade since the operation resumed, without naming the ships. According to data intelligence firm Kpler, Pakistan has not imported Iranian crude for at least a decade due to US sanctions risk. One possibility is that the two tankers selected Karachi as a waypoint for waiting or transferring cargo to other vessels. Both are under US sanctions and belong to Iran's "shadow fleet" used to ship oil. (Jin10 Data)

[SMM Coke and Coking Coal Daily Review] Coking Coal Market: Linfen low-sulphur coking coal is quoted at 2,020 yuan/mt. On the coking coal side, strict safety inspections continue in Shanxi, limiting overall capacity release and keeping the supply tight. Downstream purchasing as needed persists, with some local mines starting to see minor inventory buildup and mounting wait-and-see sentiment. Most mines are executing prior orders, with few new signings, so short-term coking coal prices are likely in the doldrums. Coke Market: The nationwide average price for quasi-first-grade dry-quenched metallurgical coke is 2,090 yuan/mt. Supply side, downstream procurement volume has dropped, with coke inventory at coking plants continuing to increase, pushing current coke supply towards a looser balance. Demand side, heavy rainfall in Northeast and South China is impacting construction, weakening demand for finished steel products; coupled with poor margins, steel mills in Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and other regions have concentrated blast furnace production cuts and maintenance. Daily average hot metal production continues to decline, weakening rigid demand for coke. Most mills are now actively controlling coke arrivals and slowing restocking efforts. Overall, the short-term coke market is expected to remain temporarily stable, while expectations of a weaker market are gradually increasing from next week. [SMM Steel]

On July 14, China Northern Rare Earth's stock price rose. As of the close on July 14, it was up 2.18% to 39.83 yuan per share. In market news, China Northern Rare Earth released its semi-annual earnings forecast, showing: Based on preliminary estimates by the company's financial department, net profit attributable to owners of the parent for H1 2026 is expected to be between 1.98 billion and 2.06 billion yuan, representing an increase of 1.05 billion to 1.13 billion yuan compared with the same period last year (as per statutory disclosure data), up 112.74% to 121.33% YoY. Excluding non-recurring items, net profit attributable to owners of the parent for H1 2026 is expected to be between 1.99 billion and 2.07 billion yuan, an increase of 1.093 billion to 1.173 billion yuan YoY, up 121.90% to 130.82%. The main reasons for the expected profit increase in the period are: In H1 2026, the company served the national rare earth resource strategy and fully implemented the requirements for safety control of the rare earth industry chain. Affected by factors such as supply constraints on the raw material side and the release and sustained growth of downstream demand at multiple points, rare earth product prices generally strengthened and consolidated. The company focused on its annual production and operation targets, carried out integrated planning and comprehensive measures, strengthened comprehensive budget management, and worked on cost reduction, quality improvement, and efficiency gains in a coordinated manner. It scientifically organized production scheduling, intensified marketing operations, deepened reform and innovation, and strengthened group management and risk control. The company advanced the deep integration of professional management, lean management, and 5S management to a high standard, promoted key project construction, and accelerated the development of new quality productive forces through management and R&D innovation. With strong value creation capabilities across the industry chain and core competitiveness, the company provided solid support and assurance for achieving good operating results. The company refined the organization and operation of production scientifically, with production volumes of rare earth smelting and separation products, rare earth metal products, and new rare earth materials all reaching historical highs for the same period; the subsidiary Inner Mongolia Northern Rare Earth Magnetic Materials Co., Ltd. achieved operating revenue of approximately 9.5 billion yuan in H1, up about 107% YoY, maintaining growth for three consecutive years; the subsidiary Inner Mongolia Xi'ao Ke Hydrogen Storage Alloy Co., Ltd. officially put its first batch of 1,000 hydrogen-powered two-wheelers into operation in Baotou, with a cumulative safe driving mileage of 170,000 kilometers, demonstrating notable project success. The company persisted in benchmarking against internal and external excellence, tapping into internal potential, and strengthening refined management, leading to significant improvements in multiple economic and technical indicators. Targeted measures were adopted for each business segment: In smelting and separation, the division overcame new cost changes brought by rising prices of raw and auxiliary materials, effectively managed cost fluctuations, scientifically organized production scheduling, and ensured new product supply demands. In rare earth metals, leveraging the concept of lean production as a starting point, digital and intelligent methods were further used to strengthen on-site process operation management, driving new breakthroughs in economic and technical indicators such as quality and material ratios. In new rare earth materials and applications, the segment fully utilized newly added capacity advantages, precisely aligned with client needs, and made new progress in promoting sales through production. Deepening industry chain synergy, the Company solidified the foundation of downstream client cooperation while ensuring stable product supply. The Company closely tracked market demand, strengthened marketing management, optimized sales structure, client credit evaluation, and product account period management, adjusted and shortened account periods by category, secured the fundamental base with long-term agreement orders, and met differentiated market demand through retail. Sales of rare earth metals and magnetic materials rose steadily, achieving full coverage of top-tier magnetic material players; sales of lanthanum-cerium products increased YoY, further digesting historical inventory; sales of polishing materials increased YoY; 5 new equipment items and 20 customized and distinctive new products were developed, continuously expanding product application scenarios. Key project construction advanced efficiently, continuously enhancing intelligence and informatization levels. The first phase of the rare earth green smelting upgrade and transformation project has been put into production, with the entire production line connected; the second phase construction is progressing in an orderly manner. Projects across the industry chain, including mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, joint ventures, cooperation, and capacity expansion and production increase for rare earth metals, magnetic material alloys, magnets, and secondary resource utilization, are accelerating toward implementation. The secondary resource utilization project achieved volume increase and quality and efficiency improvement; the Company accelerated its pace of digital and intelligent transformation, with digitalization and intelligence levels continuously improving. Regarding the 2026 operating plan, China Northern Rare Earth announced in its 2025 annual report: 2026 is the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan and a crucial year for the Company to advance high-quality development and accelerate the building of a world-class rare earth leader. The Company will uphold Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guide, take fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main theme, fully implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and all previous plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and translate into action the important speeches and instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on Inner Mongolia and the rare earth industry, as well as the decisions and plans of higher-level authorities such as the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Baotou City. Adhering to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, the Company will fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, bravely shoulder its responsibilities and missions, steadily improve the quality and efficiency of operations, build an industry system covering all elements and categories, promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, accelerate the pace of deepening reforms, enhance modern governance capabilities, continuously strengthen core functions and enhance core competitiveness, accelerate the realization of a world-class rare earth leader, ensure a good start and solid beginning for the 15th Five-Year Plan, and make new and greater contributions to the construction of the "Two Rare Earth Bases." The main production and operation targets for 2026 (these targets are merely planned objectives, and there is uncertainty as to whether they can ultimately be achieved. They do not constitute a substantive commitment by the Company to investors. Investors and relevant parties should maintain sufficient risk awareness and understand the differences between plans, forecasts, and commitments): achieve operating revenue of 44 billion yuan or more, and total profit of 3.5 billion yuan or more. While achieving operational targets, employee compensation is linked to enterprise economic performance and labor productivity in the same direction. Looking back at the price trend of Pr-Nd oxide in H1, SMM data show that it started the year at 609,000 yuan/mt, then hit a H1 high of 890,000 yuan/mt by the month-end of February, marking a cumulative increase of up to 46.7% from the beginning of the year. The core driver came from the supply side: spot Pr-Nd oxide remained tight, futures surged sharply, suppliers held back from selling amid strong bullish sentiment, and metals enterprises were stockpiling ahead of holidays, all of which pushed prices up rapidly. At the same time, disruptions in Myanmar ore supply, domestic separation plants resuming production slower than expectations, and boosted market sentiment formed a combined effect of "undersupply + bullish holdback." However, during March-April, affected by bearish supply-side news and lackluster demand from end-user traditional sectors, the Pr-Nd oxide price quickly pulled back to around 700,000 yuan/mt. That said, the rise in China Northern Rare Earth's concentrate prices in April, supply support from production halts at separation plants, and the release of export orders under the export control extension window jointly drove prices to rebound slightly. Starting in May, the downstream gradually entered the off-season, and purchasing became more cautious. It was not until late June that the Pr-Nd oxide price was boosted again by factors including the official implementation of the Mineral Resources Law Implementation Regulations, which designates rare earths as strategic minerals, and production cuts at scrap recycling enterprises due to tax invoice issues, rebounding to 7.425 billion yuan/mt on June 30. According to SMM quotes, as of July 14, the average price of Pr-Nd oxide was 762,500 yuan/mt, down 0.33% from the previous trading day. Currently, influenced by the intense tug-of-war between upstream and downstream, the oxide market is experiencing significant price fluctuations, while the metals market is relatively sluggish in terms of inquiries, with suppliers holding their quotes relatively firm and showing no obvious adjustments. In the short term, as some raw ore separation and scrap recycling plants undergo production cuts and suspensions, oxide suppliers' willingness to sell at low prices is weak, which is expected to drive Pr-Nd product prices to drift higher. Recommended reading:

FAW Jiefang announced on July 13 that its net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies for the first half of 2026 is projected to range from 270 million yuan to 320 million yuan, representing a year-on-year jump of 1,274% to 1,528%. During the reporting period, the company drove sales growth by continuously optimizing product mix, expanding overseas presence and tapping into full-chain service value. Meanwhile, it advanced lean operation management, strictly controlled costs and expenses to boost profitability. Driven by coordinated efforts across products, overseas business, services and cost control, the firm saw simultaneous improvements in operational resilience and quality, leading to a sharp year-on-year surge in net profit.

During the survey period (July 7 - July 13), in Central China, the rebar operating rate and capacity utilization rate edged down; the coiled rebar operating rate remained stable, while its capacity utilization rate edged down.

SMM July 14 news: Today the futures market suddenly turned sharply higher, and spot aluminum in South China was under pressure and weak. A phased increase in arrivals, coinciding with a sharp rise in absolute prices, spurred suppliers to sell actively in the morning, especially for those with outright positions. Under expectations of a weakening spot-futures price spread, hedging positions intended to hold prices firm but had little effect in practice and were forced to follow the decline. Mainstream quotations were at discounts of 20 to 0 yuan/mt, with ample liquidity. Demand side, downstream users were mostly cautious toward high prices and stayed on the sidelines, leading to weaker purchasing demand. Traders initially had little intention to purchase, and only when discounts emerged did some enter the market to increase purchases for order settlement. Momentum on both supply and demand sides was weak, and overall transactions were subdued. Spot trading prices were centered at premiums of -5 to 35 yuan/mt over the SHFE aluminum 2607 contract.

Capacity side, the domestic alkaline electrolyzer market remained at 43.77 GW, while the PEM electrolyzer market held steady at 2.7 GW, according to incomplete statistics. Haozhen Hydrogen Energy’s brand-new 200 Nm³/h alkaline electrolysis hydrogen production system was officially shipped and delivered, reportedly to the project site of a well-known non-ferrous metal enterprise in China. Project-related developments: Guohua (Ningxia) New Energy Co., Ltd. : The evaluation results for the PC construction general contracting bid candidates of the Guohua Investment Guohua (Ningxia) New Energy Co., Ltd. Solar-Storage-Hybrid Off-Grid Hydrogen Production Key Technology Research and Demonstration Project (Integrated Engineering Hydrogen Production Section) were publicized, with two major chemical construction enterprises shortlisted. The first bid candidate was China Chemical Engineering Second Construction Corporation, with a corresponding bid price of 31.0690374 million yuan; the second bid candidate was China Chemical Engineering Ninth Construction Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 30.3988 million yuan. This demonstration project is located south of the Qingshuiying Hydrogen Production Plant in Ningdong Town, Ningxia, with planned land use of approximately 33 mu. It relies on the existing plant’s utility infrastructure to build a complete set of hybrid hydrogen production units, comprising six hydrogen production process trains: E, F, G, H, I, and J. Among them, Unit E is a 1000 Nm³/h hybrid pilot test facility, situated on the northeast side of the existing Qingshuiying Hydrogen Production Station; Units F, G, H, I, and J are five newly built large-scale hydrogen production systems, each with a rated hydrogen output of 1000 Nm³/h and a maximum long-term safe operating load of 120%, i.e., 1200 Nm³/h. Each new hybrid hydrogen production system adopts an ALK+PEM coupling route, equipped with an 800 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzer, a 200 Nm³/h proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, and supporting gas-liquid separation equipment, paired with a 1000 Nm³/h integrated purification unit. The output hydrogen purity can reach 99.999%, suitable for PV storage Junrui Green Hydrogen Energy (Shangdu County) Co., Ltd. : The EPC general contracting bid candidates for the Shangdu County 30,000 mt/year hydrogen production project were officially publicized, with three major engineering consortiums shortlisted. The first bid candidate for this project was a consortium led by China Construction Fifth Engineering Bureau East China Construction Co., Ltd., joined by Wuxi Henghe Engineering Consulting Design Co., Ltd., Nuclear Industry (Tianjin) Engineering Survey Institute Co., Ltd., and Jiangsu Industrial Equipment Installation Group Co., Ltd.; the second bid candidate was a consortium led by Anhui Construction Engineering Group No.3 Construction Co., Ltd., joined by Shandong Honghua Construction and Installation Engineering Co., Ltd., Chongqing Chemical Engineering Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd., and Tianjin Huaxing Survey and Design Co., Ltd.; the third bid candidate was a consortium led by China Railway 16th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., joined by Jiangsu Qi’an Construction Group Co., Ltd., Aohua Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., and Hebei Zhongse Huaguan Geotechnical Engineering Co., Ltd. Inner Mongolia Mengqing Pipeline Network Co., Ltd.: The bid candidate announcement for the survey and design of the Inner Mongolia Mengqing Pipeline Network Co., Ltd. Shanghaimiao-Ningdong Green Hydrogen Pipeline Project was released. The top three candidate units for this tender were Sinopec Petroleum Engineering Design Co., Ltd. (10.05 million yuan), China Petroleum Natural Gas Pipeline Engineering Co., Ltd. (10.06 million yuan), and Sinopec Zhongyuan Petroleum Engineering Design Co., Ltd. (10.22 million yuan). This pipeline has a total length of 6.4 kilometers, divided into Inner Mongolia and Ningxia sections, with the Inner Mongolia section being 2.2 km and the Ningxia section being 4.2 km. It has a design pressure of 6.3 MPa and a pipe diameter of DN600, using L360MH steel pipes, with an annual pure hydrogen transmission capacity of 500,000 mt. It is accompanied by two newly built stations: the Shanghaimiao compressor station and the Ningdong terminal station. The project is a demonstration section at the end of the 427 km Dengkou–Shanghaimiao–Ningdong trunk green hydrogen pipeline, spanning Ordos Shanghaimiao Town and Ningxia Ningdong Town. Filing and approval were completed in both locations, and construction is planned to start on September 20, 2026. Ordos Vina Green Energy Logistics Co., Ltd. : The Ordos Vina Green Energy Logistics Co., Ltd. Vina Green Logistics and Hydrogen-Electricity Infrastructure Integrated Hydrogen Production and Refueling Project has been filed, which will further improve supporting infrastructure for local hydrogen logistics. The project is located in the Sanaoliang Industrial Park, Dalad Banner, Ordos City, with a total investment of 63.1638 million yuan. The main construction content includes one 6 mt hydrogen refueling station, one set of 6,000 Nm³/h physical process PSA hydrogen purification equipment, to build an integrated hydrogen production and refueling supporting system. The project construction period is planned from August 2026 to August 2027. Upon completion, it will effectively address the regional hydrogen refueling shortcomings, support the large-scale development of the local green logistics industry, and promote the application of hydrogen energy scenarios. China Energy Construction Bochuang Green Fuel (Shenyang) Co., Ltd. : The Shenyang City Wind and Solar Hydrogen Production Integrated with Biomass Green Alcohol and Oil Demonstration Project Phase I 100,000 mt green methanol EPC general contracting project has announced the candidate winners for the bid. The first candidate is the consortium led by East China Electric Power Design Institute, in combination with Hunan and Liaoning Electric Power Design Institutes, with a bid of approximately 1.7 billion yuan; the second and third candidates are Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute and Zhejiang Electric Power Design Institute, with bids of approximately 1.7239 billion yuan and 1.7883 billion yuan respectively. The project is located in Kangping County, Shenyang. The wind farm site is close to highways and national roads, and the biomass pretreatment plant and the methanol chemical plant are both located within the county. Phase I plans to build 100 MW wind power, 50 MW/100 MWh energy storage, an annual output of 100,000 mt of green methanol, and 360,000 mt of biomass pretreatment supporting facilities. Shaanxi Coal Group Yulin Chemical Co., Ltd. : Shuangliang Hydrogen Energy has won the order for four 3,000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzers from Shaanxi Coal Group Yulin Chemical. The order is for the hydrogen production unit supporting the second phase first stage of the Yulin Chemical 15 million mt/year coal grading conversion demonstration project. The supporting hydrogen production unit has a total hydrogen capacity of 12,000 Nm³/h and oxygen capacity of 6,000 Nm³/h, and the unit will serve coal-to-methanol, methanol-to-olefins, and downstream deep processing production. Ordos Vina Green Energy Logistics Co., Ltd.​​​​​​​: The Ordos Vina Green Energy Integrated Hydrogen Production and Refueling Project has been filed. The project total investment is 63.1638 million yuan, using a self-owned fund plus bank loan model, with a construction period of one year, and is expected to be completed and put into use in August 2027. The project is located in the Sanaoliang Industrial Park, Dalad Banner, and is equipped with one 6 mt/day large hydrogen refueling station and one set of 6,000 Nm³/h PSA hydrogen purification unit, relying on by-product hydrogen resources from the park to build green logistics supporting facilities for hydrogen-powered heavy trucks. Hebei Hongmeng Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd.​​​​​​​: The first Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) public notice has been issued for the Off-Grid Hydrogen Production Hydrogen Low-Temperature Liquefaction Comprehensive Utilization Demonstration Project. The project is located in Zhangjiakou Kangbao County, in Zhangji Town and Danqinghe Township. The overall total investment is 10.4 billion yuan, with six wind power supply units totaling 1.2 GW installed capacity, of which the main part of the project for hydrogen production and liquefaction investment is 3.49 billion yuan. The project plans to adopt both alkaline and PEM electrolyzers, with a total hydrogen production capacity of 240,000 Nm³/h, an annual output of 140,000 mt of green hydrogen after reaching full production, and simultaneously supporting a 30 mt/day hydrogen liquefaction unit. Supporting infrastructure such as plant buildings, collection lines, and other complete supporting facilities will be constructed simultaneously, to build a wind-solar off-grid hydrogen production and low-temperature liquefaction integrated demonstration base. Policy Review​ 1. The Energy Bureau of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has issued a notice regarding the abolition of the Interim Measures for the Administration of Hydrogen Refueling Stations in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In accordance with the requirements of the Notice of the General Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People's Government on Conducting the Cleanup of Administrative Normative Documents (Nei Zheng Ban Zi [2025] No. 40) and related requirements, with the consent of the autonomous region people’s government, the Interim Measures for the Administration of Hydrogen Refueling Stations in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Nei Neng You Qi Zi [2022] No. 1461), jointly issued by the autonomous region energy bureau and relevant departments, is hereby abolished. Matters related to hydrogen refueling stations shall be implemented in accordance with the Administrative Measures for the Safety of Renewable Energy Hydrogen Production Industry in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Trial Implementation) and other relevant regulations. 2. The Yunnan Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Yunnan Provincial Energy Bureau have issued a notice on the 2026 Green Electricity Hydrogen Production Integration Demonstration Project List. According to the project list, there are 8 green electricity hydrogen production integration demonstration projects in Yunnan Province in 2026, with a planned total green hydrogen production of 8,032 mt/year. They are: Yiliang County Green Electricity Hydrogen Production Integration Demonstration Project, Dushupu Service Area Photovoltaic Green Electricity Hydrogen Production Integration Demonstration Project, Songming Service Area Upward Photovoltaic Green Electricity Hydrogen Production Integration Demonstration Project, Qujing High-Tech Zone Huashan Wind-Solar Coupled Hydrogen Production Demonstration Project, Honghe Kaiyuan City Xiehua Green Electricity Hydrogen Production Integration Demonstration Project, Lufeng City Green Electricity Hydrogen Production (Ammonia) Blast Furnace Injection Ironmaking Integration Demonstration Project, Chuxiong High-Tech Zone Wind-Solar Integrated Green Ammonia Synthesis Project, and Shangri-La Green Electricity Hydrogen and Oxygen Production Integration Demonstration Project. Enterprise Updates​​ Weichai Power Co., Ltd. : Weichai Power’s WP15 heavy-duty hydrogen internal combustion engine with direct injection has successfully passed the authoritative environmental protection emission certification test, becoming China’s and the world’s first heavy-duty hydrogen internal combustion engine to complete all core verifications under the China VI regulations. This marks a key breakthrough in the commercialization of zero-carbon heavy-duty equipment in China. The engine model has undergone rigorous testing under all operating conditions, with pollutant emissions significantly better than national standards and carbon dioxide emissions nearly eliminated. Relying on self-developed flexible in-cylinder direct injection core technology, the model achieves ultra-low nitrogen oxide emissions and, combined with a simple after-treatment system, is capable of meeting even higher future environmental protection regulation requirements, with outstanding environmental performance advantages. Baoding Gaoxin Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. : Thirty hydrogen fuel cell sanitation vehicles equipped with Weishi Energy hydrogen power systems were officially delivered to Baoding Gaoxin Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. They will be deployed for road sweeping, washing, watering, and dust reduction operations on major roads in the Baoding Hi-Tech Zone, promoting the green transformation, upgrading, and quality improvement of the local sanitation sector. The delivered vehicles include two main car models—hydrogen-powered water sprinklers and hydrogen-powered sweepers—jointly developed by Weishi Energy in cooperation with Dongfeng Special Vehicle and Changsha Infegreen Environmental. The vehicles are equipped with Weishi Energy’s in-house developed commercial vehicle fuel cell systems and hydrogen storage systems, offering the environmental advantages of zero emissions, no pollution, and low noise. Guoke Green Hydrogen (Dalian) Technology Co., Ltd.​​​​​​​: A research team from the Counselor’s Office of Jiangxi Provincial Government visited Jinpu New District, Dalian City, Liaoning Province, to conduct a special survey on the “New Energy Future Industry – High-Quality Development Vision for Green Hydrogen (Ammonia).” Among the surveyed enterprises, Guoke Green Hydrogen (Dalian) Technology Co., Ltd., as one of the key enterprises, systematically presented its core technology R&D, equipment manufacturing, and industrial application status in green hydrogen, and engaged in in-depth exchanges with the survey team on the development of the green hydrogen industry. Guoneng Hydrogen Innovation Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. : Its “Sino-German Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cell Vehicle Carbon Footprint and Sustainability Assessment Method and System Co-Construction Project” was selected as one of the first batch of typical cases of China-Europe energy cooperation at the 4th China-Europe Energy Technology Innovation Cooperation Forum. Beijing Hypert Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​: The delivery ceremony for its H49 hydrogen-powered heavy truck was successfully held. The delivered Hypert H49 hydrogen-powered heavy trucks will officially join the Hengnuo Logistics fleet and serve the logistics transportation of finished beverages for Swire Coca-Cola. Huachuang Hydrogen Energy Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. : Foshan’s first hydrogen-powered unmanned vehicle OEM launch conference was successfully held at the Guangdong Cheshijie Automotive Technology Industrial Park in Lecong, Shunde. Huachuang Hydrogen Energy Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. participated as one of the leading enterprises. Chairman Dr. Yang Zhonggao delivered a speech on behalf of the company and completed the signing ceremony. At the event, the OEM’s construction plan, core technology tackling route, and industrialization plan were announced, and a hydrogen-powered unmanned vehicle departure ceremony was held simultaneously. Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Materials Group Xi'an Co., Ltd. : For its natural gas subsidiary, it plans to procure proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment, with a plan to purchase one electrolyzer under a single section. Dongfang Electric (Chengdu) Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. ​​​​​​​: Dongfang Hydrogen has successfully signed orders for two sets of 2,000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzers, achieving a breakthrough in market orders for large-scale water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment. It is understood that the signed alkaline hydrogen production equipment, equipped with Dongfang Hydrogen’s latest core technologies, will be deployed in a national energy sector hydrogen energy pilot project, supporting the construction of a high-purity hydrogen supply mother station with an annual output of 10,000 mt for fuel cells. After deployment, the equipment can effectively solve the difficulty of hydrogen supply for fuel cell vehicles and break through key bottlenecks in hydrogen energy application. ​​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 test life of 80,000 hours. ​​2. Johnson Matthey (UK) submitted patent WO2025109876, disclosing a ternary Fe-Ni-Mo non-precious metal catalyst formulation with activity close to platinum-based materials. Technology Footprints/Technical Specifications​​ 1. The team of Tong Lei, Liang Haiwei from USTC and Zhang Liang from Tsinghua University proposed a carbon mesopore depth engineering (CMDE) strategy. Leveraging hollow mesoporous carbon spheres to regulate ionomer penetration depth, they resolved the inherent conflict between kinetic activity and oxygen mass transport in low-platinum fuel cells, and developed a PtCo low-platinum catalyst with anti-poisoning, high mass transport, and excellent durability. They achieved US DOE power, activity, and durability targets at an ultra-low platinum loading of 0.1 mgPt cm⁻². 2. Professor Li Zhipeng’s team at Northwestern Polytechnical University innovatively constructed a three-dimensional multi-physics coupled model for tubular solid oxide fuel cells, systematically revealing the quantitative influence laws of temperature, electrode thickness, porosity, and oxygen domain geometric parameters on cell output performance. 3. The National Hydrogen Energy Power Quality Inspection and Testing Center of China Automotive Engineering Research Institute has built a 0–400 kW hydrogen-involved three-in-one vibration test platform with load and opened it for commercial use, filling the gap in domestic high-power multi-physics coupled hydrogen testing. 4. The high specific power cathode closed-cathode air-cooled fuel cell stack technology developed by the team of Academician Chen Zhongwei and Associate Researcher Zhang Meng at the National Key Laboratory of Energy Catalytic Conversion, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, has passed the scientific and technological achievement appraisal organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The technology effectively resolves the industry contradiction between water retention and oxygen mass transport in air-cooled fuel cells, solving technical challenges such as low-humidity performance decay, carbon corrosion, dry membrane flooding, and high-power thermal management. 5. Two group standards on water electrolysis hydrogen production have been officially released and implemented: the Safety Technical Specification for Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Production and the Method for Calculating Economic Operation Indicators for Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Production. 6. Petronor and H2SITE collaborate to advance membrane technology for hydrogen production, enhancing high-purity hydrogen and low-carbon efficiency in refining.