Grupo José de Mello has scrapped plans to invest €492 million ($566 million) in building a lithium hydroxide refinery in Estarreja, Portugal, dealing a fresh setback to the country's ambition of building a fully integrated domestic lithium mining and processing industry. The project, led by Lifthium Energy a subsidiary jointly held by the José de Mello Group and its chemical arm Bondalti had been designated a "Strategic Project" under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act only months before its cancellation, and had already secured €180 million in public support that was never drawn down. Group CEO Salvador de Mello confirmed the decision in an interview with Portuguese weekly Expresso, stating that despite "all the effort made to secure long-term contracts to allow investment in a factory, this was not possible," and that the company "will not proceed at this stage with an industrial investment in lithium." De Mello cited weak conditions across the European automotive and battery-lithium supply chain, noting the market "is not responding positively" to reindustrialization investments of this scale. Smelting background: Lifthium Energy was established in 2023 within Bondalti before ownership was restructured to 75% direct José de Mello Group control, with Bondalti retaining 15%. The Estarreja site was chosen because it already hosts existing Bondalti chemical processing infrastructure, theoretically reducing greenfield buildout risk. As designed, the refinery would have had capacity to produce 28,000 t/y of battery grade lithium hydroxide sufficient to supply roughly half a million EV battery packs annually and would have created 150 direct jobs. Critically, the plant was engineered around an electrolysis-based "green lithium" refining process using water and clean energy rather than conventional acid-roasting, and was explicitly designed to be feedstock-agnostic not dependent on ore from domestic Portuguese mines, meaning it could have processed imported spodumene concentrate from any origin. Production was originally targeted to start in 2030, later pulled forward toward 2027 in some interim guidance, before the project stalled entirely. Bondalti had already committed around €35 million to development work and had begun environmental licensing procedures for the plant as recently as June 2026. A parallel Lifthium refinery had also been under consideration in Torrelavega, Spain, which secured over €21 million in Spanish government support in September 2024; the Estarreja cancellation casts uncertainty over that project's fate as well. The Estarreja decision follows the November 2024 abandonment of Galp's Aurora lithium conversion project in Setúbal, after battery partner Northvolt's collapse left the project without an anchor customer. With both of Portugal's flagship downstream conversion projects now shelved, the country's refining ambitions have effectively stalled twice in under two years both times citing the identical root cause: an inability to lock in bankable, long-term offtake contracts with European automakers or battery cell producers, even with substantial public co-financing on offer. Mining background: Portugal's only advancing hard-rock lithium asset sits upstream of this collapsed conversion chain the Barroso Lithium Project, developed by London-listed Savannah Resources near the town of Boticas in northern Portugal. Savannah first took a 75% stake in the project in May 2017, when no resource estimate existed, and moved to 100% ownership by 2019. The company holds C-100 Mining Lease 5.42km², valid to 2036 plus the adjacent Aldeia Mining Lease of 2.74km², valid to 2049, and has since completed more than 50,000 metres of resource drilling. Barroso is now classified as Europe's largest known spodumene deposit, with a JORC-compliant resource of 39 Mt containing 411,900 tonnes of Li2O at an average grade of 1.05% Li2O across five orebodies, plus a notably low iron content (0.8% Fe2O3) that favours concentrate quality. Potential extension zones of a further 35-62 Mt are still being evaluated and could materially expand mine life if confirmed. The processing plant is designed to produce roughly 191,000-200,000 t/y of spodumene concentrate at 5.5% Li2O modestly below the 6% Li2O SC6 industry reference grade over a project life generating 2.6 Mt of concentrate in total, alongside by product sales of low-grade pegmatite material and ceramic quartz tailings for the local ceramics sector Portugal has a long standing history of lithium mining for the ceramics and glass industries, though never previously at battery-grade scale. Barroso has been designated a CRMA "Strategic Project" and received a non-reimbursable €110 million grant from the Portuguese state toward construction capex, with Savannah currently targeting production from 2028. Notably, most of the project's future concentrate output remains commercially unallocated, leaving room for a future offtake partner or open market sales. Development has not proceeded without friction. A court injunction triggered a three-week suspension of construction-related work in June 2026 before the Portuguese government stepped in, declaring the project of national and European significance and lifting the halt. Local opposition has centred on the Barroso region's UN FAO "Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System" designation the agricultural equivalent of UNESCO World Heritage status, recognizing the area's traditional polyculture farming and land management systems with community concerns focused on water use, biodiversity, and land access. Savannah has since signed benefit-sharing agreements with two of the three local "baldios" communally managed lands covering the mining concessions, and hundreds of protesters gathered at a camp in Covas do Barroso in early August 2026 to continue opposing the mine, with organisers explicitly linking their campaign to the Estarreja refinery's collapse as evidence the broader domestic lithium value-chain promise is unravelling. SMM View : The collapse of both Portuguese refinery projects leaves Barroso without a natural domestic home for its future spodumene concentrate, exposing the project to a structural offtake gap at the very market it was designed to serve. In the absence of a European buyer, output is more likely to flow into the broader seaborne market, with Asian converters standing out as the most probable destination a pattern consistent with the raw-concentrate export dynamic typically seen in early-stage African supply before local beneficiation capacity comes online. That two separate Portuguese conversion projects have now failed for the same stated reason an inability to secure bankable long-term offtake commitments points to persistently thin confirmed demand from Europe's battery and automotive supply chain, even where state co-financing is on the table. Barroso's progress toward its 2028 construction target, further resource-extension drilling results, and any offtake developments will be key signals for how EU-origin spodumene ultimately positions itself against African and Australian supply in the global concentrate market.

This week, the industry chain continued to show overall weakness and divergence. Refined cobalt was affected by the consumption off-season and summer break; mainstream smelters lowered quotes to 335,000 yuan/mt, and downstream users maintained only essential restocking. The buy-sell price spread for intermediate products widened, tenders continued to fail, and market trading nearly stalled. Cobalt sulphate, cobalt chloride, Co3O4 and cobalt powder all fell under pressure; low-priced material increased, and market prices gradually converged toward actual transaction and cost ranges, leaving the market still in a bottoming phase in the near term. Ternary cathode precursor prices slid as nickel and cobalt salts weakened; production schedules recovered at top-tier players, but small and mid-sized producers remained constrained by the off-season. Supported by the rebound in lithium chemicals, peak-season stockpiling and European auto sales, ternary cathode material prices edged up slightly, and August orders were steady to slightly higher. LCO demand recovery remained slow, and price cuts did not noticeably boost shipments. Industry side, Sinomine Resource Group's lithium sulfate project in Zimbabwe entered full-scale construction, Hithium secured a 421 MWh energy storage project in Australia, and cooperation in the charging industry continued to advance.

his week, the Chicago Summit clarified the industry timeline: oxide electrolytes will be prioritized for deployment within 2–3 years, while all‑solid‑state sulfide batteries will be delayed until 2028–2030. The Baihu Lake Laboratory achieved a breakthrough in boride‑based solid‑state batteries with 400 Wh/kg, wide temperature range, and low‑pressure operation, targeting low‑altitude economy and robotics applications.

[SMM Solid-State Battery Weekly Analysis: Summit Sets the "Oxide First, Sulphide Delayed" Tone; Capital and Projects Accelerate in Resonance on the Eve of Mass Production] This week, the Chicago summit set the industry pace: oxide electrolytes are expected to be deployed first within 2-3 years, while sulphide all-solid-state batteries are postponed to the period from 2028 to 2030. Baima Lake Laboratory's boride solid-state battery has broken through 400 Wh/kg, operating over a wide temperature range and under low pressure, and targeting low-altitude economy and robotics scenarios. Sichuan Advanced Battery Innovation Center will be delivered at the end of August, Shandong Chuanglu's 100 mt-class production line will enter mass production, and De'er Co., Ltd.'s PACK pilot line was completed. Ruizhi New Energy and Guxin Energy raised a combined total of more than 100 million yuan, a joint laboratory for robot batteries was established, and solid-state batteries have fully transitioned from the laboratory to mass-production-driven development.

This week, ternary cathode material prices recovered slightly. On the raw material front, nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate prices continued to decline, while lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide prices rebounded somewhat. However, overall cathode material quotations changed little and remained at cyclical lows. In terms of transaction sentiment, some cathode and battery manufacturers only made small-batch need-based restocking purchases, with limited volumes. The market as a whole still holds expectations of further price declines in the near term. On the payable front, no adjustments have been made recently to payables for nickel, cobalt, or lithium. Given the upcoming reinstatement of the lithium battery consumption tax, battery cell manufacturers may shift some cost pressures upstream, leaving limited room for upward payable adjustments. On the demand side, August orders showed stable growth. Stockpiling for new models ahead of the traditional peak season in September and October drove domestic cathode order demand, while overseas markets—particularly Europe—continued to show strong vehicle sales, further supporting ternary demand. On the consumer market front, supply remained largely stable through long-term contracts, while spot contract transactions remained subdued, with no clear signs of demand recovery yet.

This week, ternary cathode material prices rebounded slightly. Raw material side, nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate prices continued to trend lower, while lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide prices rebounded. However, ternary cathode material quotes changed little overall and remained at relatively low levels. Trading sentiment, some cathode plants and battery cell manufacturers only carried out small-volume restocking for rigid demand, with relatively limited procurement volumes. The overall market still held expectations for lower prices ahead. Discount side, nickel, cobalt and lithium discounts have not been adjusted recently. As the lithium battery consumption tax is about to be reinstated, battery cell manufacturers may pass on some cost pressure upstream, and expectations for higher discounts remain weak. Demand side, August orders grew steadily. Stockpiling for new models ahead of the traditional September-October peak season boosted cathode order demand in China; auto sales outside China, especially in Europe, remained strong and continued to boost ternary demand. Consumer market side, stable supply mainly relied on long-term contracts, spot order trading was relatively sluggish, and demand still showed no clear signs of recovery.

This week, the industry chain as a whole remained in the doldrums. In the traditional consumption off-season, end-use demand recovery was limited, and market transactions were generally sluggish. Electrolytic products continued to grind lower, affected by loosening overseas quotes and weakening domestic salts and intermediate product prices, leading to rising bearish sentiment. The divergence between miners holding intermediate product prices firm and downstream pushing for lower prices widened, hindering actual transactions. The sulphate, chloride, tetroxide, and powder markets all faced insufficient demand and inventory pressure, with some low-priced supply increasing, keeping short-term prices under pressure. Ternary cathode precursor prices were temporarily stable; top-tier player production load recovered somewhat, and export orders performed well. Ternary cathode material prices rebounded slightly, with EV market orders in August stable and growing, but the consumer market improvement remained insignificant. LCO supply and demand remained mediocre, with prices still likely to decline. On the policy front, multiple regions continued to optimize auto consumption subsidies, the catalogue of vehicle models eligible for vehicle and vessel tax exemptions expanded, and end-use consumption stimulus policies continued to advance.

This week, industry chain prices diverged. Lithium ore edged down alongside lithium carbonate, but mines continued to hold prices firm, making profit distribution across the industry chain a market focus. Supported by maintenance and tight spot order supply, lithium carbonate prices consolidated on a subdued note, while lithium hydroxide prices initially fell before rebounding. The cobalt industry chain remained generally under pressure—with weakening overseas quotations and sluggish off-season demand, refined cobalt, intermediate products, and cobalt salt prices continued to weaken, and the price spread between buyers and sellers widened. Nickel sulphate edged down, with the market still primarily focused on destocking; ternary cathode precursor prices declined due to weaker nickel and cobalt salt prices, while ternary cathode material prices remained basically stable. LFP prices proved resilient, supported by rising processing fees, with August production schedules continuing to grow and high-quality capacity remaining tight. Artificial graphite prices rose, the supply-demand balance for separators stayed in tight balance, and electrolyte prices were pushed up by raw material cost transmission. Supply of key materials for sodium-ion batteries remained tight, while recycling-side transactions were subdued. On the terminal side, EV and ESS demand maintained resilience, though the consumer market recovery remained limited. Looking ahead, the focus will be on peak season stockpiling and demand realization.

This week, the industry chain as a whole remained in the doldrums. In the traditional consumption off-season, end-use demand recovery was limited, and market transactions were generally sluggish. Electrolytic products continued to grind lower, affected by loosening overseas quotes and weakening domestic salts and intermediate product prices, leading to rising bearish sentiment. The divergence between miners holding intermediate product prices firm and downstream pushing for lower prices widened, hindering actual transactions. The sulphate, chloride, tetroxide, and powder markets all faced insufficient demand and inventory pressure, with some low-priced supply increasing, keeping short-term prices under pressure. Ternary cathode precursor prices were temporarily stable; top-tier player production load recovered somewhat, and export orders performed well. Ternary cathode material prices rebounded slightly, with EV market orders in August stable and growing, but the consumer market improvement remained insignificant. LCO supply and demand remained mediocre, with prices still likely to decline. On the policy front, multiple regions continued to optimize auto consumption subsidies, the catalogue of vehicle models eligible for vehicle and vessel tax exemptions expanded, and end-use consumption stimulus policies continued to advance.

Capacity side, according to incomplete statistics, China's alkaline electrolyzer market remained at 43.77 GW, and the PEM electrolyzer market at 2.7 GW. This week, there was no public offline delivery information. Project-related developments: Hebei Yonglu Technology Co., Ltd.: The Cangzhou Lingang Economic and Technological Development Zone announced the environmental impact assessment approval decision for the hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and liquid ammonia pipeline transportation project of Hebei Yonglu Technology Co., Ltd. The project is located in the East Zone of Cangzhou Lingang Economic and Technological Development Zone, relying on the park's public pipe gallery to build three pipelines for hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and liquid ammonia, starting from Zhengyuan Hydrogen and ending at Dahua Juhai Branch. The total investment of the project is 26.3938 million yuan, with environmental protection investment of 135,000 yuan, accounting for 0.5% of total investment. The route passes through protective greenbelts, park roads, and enterprises, and does not involve residential areas or ecologically sensitive areas. Once completed, the project will be able to deliver 144 million Nm³ of hydrogen, 96 million Nm³ of carbon monoxide, and 165,000 mt of liquid ammonia annually. Zhejiang Haizhuo New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The Silicon Bipolar Plate, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Stack and System, PEM Electrolyzer and System R&D Project of Zhejiang Haizhuo New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. has completed filing in the Jiaxing Economic and Technological Development Zone. The project is an expansion, with a total investment of $2.2185 million, planned to start construction in September 2026 without phased construction arrangements. The project relies on the existing 2,306 m² plant, introduces multiple sets of advanced R&D equipment to build an R&D platform, and conducts R&D on silicon bipolar plates, fuel cell stacks, and PEM electrolyzer systems. This project only conducts laboratory R&D testing, does not produce hydrogen, does not involve the production of vehicle power batteries, and does not include water electrolysis hydrogen production or hydrogen purification facilities. Diaobingshan Huadian Clean Energy Co., Ltd.: The Liaoning Huadian Diaobingshan 450 MW Wind Power-to-Hydrogen Coupled Green Methanol Integrated Demonstration Project has issued an open tender announcement for hydrogen production make-up water pumps and caustic make-up pumps. The project is planned to construct 450 MW of wind power, 295 MW of hydrogen production equipment, and 80 MW/80 MWh energy storage, with a hydrogen storage capacity of 400,000 Nm³ (35.7 mt), an annual hydrogen production capacity of 19,000 mt, and supporting a green methanol production capacity of 100,000 mt/year. This project does not accept bids from consortiums or agents. Shaanxi Huaqin New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : Shaanxi Huifeng Zhongrui Electric Power Engineering Co., Ltd. has won the electrical engineering procurement project for the No. 3 large-scale electrolyzer assembly workshop of the Phase I hydrogen equipment manufacturing center of Shaanxi Huaqin New Energy, from PowerChina Henan Engineering Company. Shaanxi Yushen Energy Thermal Power Co., Ltd.: The Yushen Qingshui Thermal Power 2×660 MW Unit Hydrogen System Equipment Procurement Project has issued an open tender announcement. The project is planned to construct 2×660 MW high-efficiency ultra-supercritical indirect air-cooled coal-fired units, equipped with full-capacity limestone-wet flue gas desulfurization, flue gas denitrification devices, and auxiliary facilities, with a total land area of approximately 44.2484 hectares and a total investment of approximately 5.3 billion yuan. This project does not accept consortium bids, but agents are allowed to bid. Shenzhen Energy Group: The last electrolyzer of Shenzhen Energy's Otog Banner 505 MW Wind and Solar Power-to-Hydrogen Integrated Green Ammonia Project has been commissioned, and the hydrogen production station has achieved comprehensive and stable hydrogen production, laying a solid foundation for the entire industry chain of green hydrogen to green ammonia. The project has a total of 48 electrolyzers, and all commissioning was completed over two months. The project team overcame multiple challenges including wind-solar power adaptation, system integration, and safety control, conducting round-the-clock troubleshooting and verification. After multiple rounds of testing, the facility achieved successful initial startup, with hydrogen purity consistently meeting standards. Longyuan (Huanxian) New Energy Xifeng Branch : The second public tender announcement for the EPC of Longyuan (Huanxian) New Energy Xifeng Branch's biomass gasification-coupled green hydrogen-to-green fuel project was released. The project received group approval in April 2024 and investment decision approval in September the same year. It will construct a 1,000 Nm³/h water electrolysis hydrogen production system, a 1 t/h biomass pure oxygen pressurized gasifier, alongside 2,000 mt/year green methanol and 60 mt/year green aviation fuel synthesis facilities. A 6 MW distributed off-grid PV system will be built to power the hydrogen production unit. The total construction period is 7 months after contract signing, with joint bids not accepted. Gansu Beifang Santai Chemical Co., Ltd.: China Chengda Engineering Co., Ltd. released the winning bidder shortlist for hydrogen compressors (liquid-ring type). For Section Package 01, the first-ranked bidder was Gardner Denver Nash LLC, with Tsurumi Vacuum Engineering (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. as the secondary candidate. This procurement serves the phosgene chemical recycling industry chain (Phase I) raw material security expansion project of Gansu Beifang Santai Chemical, involving 2 liquid-ring hydrogen compressors. Joint bids were not accepted. Inner Mongolia Huadian Huameng Pipeline Co., Ltd. : The main works of China's first high-pressure, long-distance green hydrogen pipeline (Damaoqi-Baotou Hydrogen Transmission Pipeline) were substantially completed. The 195-km pipeline connects the Bayan Obo wind-solar hydrogen production base with Baotou's industrial core zone. The project resolved high-pressure hydrogen embrittlement challenges through rare-earth-modified piping materials and established a quantitative safety evaluation system, overcoming technical bottlenecks in long-distance pure hydrogen transmission. Upon completion, it will ensure green hydrogen supply for Baotou's industries and enable regional distribution. Mountainous sections are now in final stages, while plain sections undergo pigging and pressure testing, with all parties accelerating construction for operational readiness. Sinochem Lantian Fluorine Materials Co., Ltd.: The shortlist for the Haitang 2003 project's alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen equipment procurement was announced, with Tianjin Continental Hydrogen Equipment Co., Ltd. as the primary candidate (bid price: 2.8628 million yuan). The tender covers one 200 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzer. Sinochem Lantian is a subsidiary of Sinochem Holdings. Inner Mongolia Junzheng Chemical Co., Ltd.: The 1,000 mt/year CO₂ hydrogenation-to-methanol project obtained filing approval. Located in Wuda Industrial Park, Wuhai, the project has total investment of 11 million yuan (self-funded) and will construct production facilities with supporting power distribution and control systems, scheduled for August 2026-August 2028. Shiyan Yuanzhi Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The Zhangwan District PV+ESS+hydrogen integration project's tender plan was publicly announced. Invested by Shiyan's state-owned Yuanzhi Energy (established September 2023, registered capital: 50 million yuan), the 320 million yuan project completed filing in May 2024 and plans August 2026 tendering. It includes 37 MW PV, 50 MW/120 MWh ESS, 500 kg/day hydrogen production-refueling facilities, EV swapping stations, and smart energy management systems. Policy Review 1. NDRC and National Energy Administration issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for New-Type Power System Construction," promoting synergistic applications of battery-grade lithium hydroxide and thermal-electrolytic decoupling via molten salt/water heat storage. It pilots advanced heat pump technologies and explores phase-change/solid-state high-temperature storage, while expanding green hydrogen applications including hydrogen-ammonia-alcohol production, hydrogen storage/power generation, and hydrogen/ammonia co-firing. 2. MIIT, NDRC, and SAMR jointly issued the 2026 Key Industry Energy/Carbon Efficiency Leader Enterprise Recommendation Notice, covering 43 sectors including crude oil processing, coke, olefins, ethylene, PX, PTA, methanol, EG, caustic soda, PVC, soda ash, calcium carbide, yellow phosphorus, synthetic ammonia, urea, MAP, DAP, titanium dioxide, tires, sulphuric acid, and polyester. 3. Inner Mongolia Energy Bureau proposed measures for incremental power grid development, encouraging hydrogen integration. Projects under incremental grids may develop hydrogen-based green fuels with on-site green electricity consumption, and support self-use generators powered by green hydrogen/ammonia/methanol. Corporate Updates Sichuan Huachuang Yongqing New Energy Co., Ltd. : Shengshilanhai (Jiangyou) Cross-border E-commerce Industrial Park Chairman Li Qiao visited for discussions on global expansion of low-pressure solid-state hydrogen equipment, covering overseas market strategy, certifications, channels, and IP protection. Both parties recognized significant collaboration potential in hydrogen equipment globalization and agreed to explore diversified partnerships. Faku Qingtai Electric Power New Energy Co., Ltd. : Established with legal representative Chen Huanchi (registered capital: 2 million yuan), its business scope includes hydrogen refueling/storage equipment sales and power generation/transmission/distribution operations. Guangdong Jiayi Huahydrogen Technology Co., Ltd.: Launched solid-state hydrogen storage power modules addressing lithium charging/fuel refilling pain points. The 1.6 kg standardized module enables manual hydrogen cartridge replacement within seconds. Henan Dahe Siji Cold Chain Logistics Co., Ltd. : Signed a strategic agreement with Shanghai Carrier Transicold to deploy ≥3,000 hydrogen cold chain vehicles by 2029-end, with ≥1,000 units in Phase I (August 2026-July 2027). Zhongtian Huahydrogen Co., Ltd. : Commenced Phase II manufacturing center, adding two alkaline electrolyzer production lines to reach 1 GW annual capacity. Zhejiang Yangguang Green Hydrogen Technology Co., Ltd. : Completed 10,000-hour durability tests for A11/B11-series AEM electrolyzers under 1.6 MPa high pressure and 1.5 A/cm² current density. TrinaSolar Co., Ltd. : Established a Digital Energy Joint Lab with Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Trina Home, focusing on R&D and industrialization of digital energy technologies for PV+ESS+hydrogen applications. Xi'an 1908 New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: Began construction of its solid-state hydrogen equipment R&D base (2,000 m²) in Shaanxi Hydrogen Innovation Park, targeting operational readiness by month-end August. Patent Applications 1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, CAS (China) disclosed patent CN2025110028 for ceramic-based anion exchange membranes with 80,000-hour lab-tested lifespan. 2. Johnson Matthey (UK) filed WO2025109876 for Fe-Ni-Mo ternary non-precious metal catalysts with platinum-like activity. Technical Milestones/Specifications 1. Prof. Hu Wenbin's team at Tianjin University published in Science a breakthrough in atomic-scale platinum-group catalyst synthesis. 2. Teams from USTC (Tong Lei/Liang Haiwei) and Tsinghua (Zhang Liang) proposed Carbon Mesopore Depth Engineering (CMDE) using hollow mesoporous carbon spheres to resolve PtCo catalyst trade-offs between oxygen transport and kinetics, achieving DOE targets at 0.1 mgPt/cm² loading. 3. NWPU Prof. Li Zhipeng's team developed a 3D multiphysics model for tubular SOFCs, quantifying impacts of temperature, electrode thickness, porosity, and oxygen domain geometry. 4. China Automotive Research's National Hydrogen Energy Quality Center opened a 0-400 kW hydrogen-compatible vibration test platform, filling domestic gaps in high-power multiphysics testing. 5. DICP's Academician Chen Zhongwei and Associate Researcher Zhang Meng developed a high-specific-power cathode-sealed air-cooled stack technology, resolving industry conflicts between water retention and oxygen transport in fuel cells.