In 2026, the correction in lithium carbonate prices drove up lithium battery production costs. Coupled with uncertainties in lithium resources supply, cost pressure across the new energy industry became increasingly prominent. Leveraging the advantages of abundant sodium resources, balanced distribution, and controllable costs, sodium-ion batteries have leapt from being a “backup option” for lithium batteries to a key direction for industry breakthrough...

Recent Middle East conflicts have disrupted the region's booming energy storage market, a major destination for Chinese exports. To assess the real impact on Chinese supply chains and project deliveries, we must analyze baseline demand amidst these geopolitical uncertainties.

On Feb 24, 2026, China placed 20 Japanese firms, including Subaru, on an export control watchlist for unverifiable end-use of dual-use items. This signals tighter controls on critical minerals and tech amid geopolitical and supply chain shifts. The analysis examines the firms' supply chain roles and the long-term industrial implications.

On February 24, 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce issued Announcement No. 12 of 2026, adding 20 Japanese entities, including Subaru Corporation, to the export control "watch list" on the grounds of "inability to verify the end-users and end-uses of dual-use items." This move marks the first time since January 2026 that China has explicitly implemented such list-based management measures targeting Japanese enterprises, signaling a shift toward more precise, systematic, and in-depth development of export controls in the fields of critical minerals and high-tech materials. This article will conduct an in-depth analysis of the core backgrounds of these 20 enterprises, reveal their deep-seated connections with supply chains of critical materials such as rare earths, and explore the potential impact of this measure on the future global industrial landscape.

Recently, with the successive launch and commencement of operations of two wholly-owned subsidiaries, Shandong LinTie and Shandong NaYuan, in Juancheng County, Lopal has added a crucial piece to its new energy materials industrial layout in Heze. From its initial investment in 2021 to the current dual-track advancement of "lithium-sodium synergy," the enterprise has cumulatively invested over 3 billion yuan in Heze over the past five years. Shandong NaYuan, progressing simultaneously with Shandong LinTie, represents a key strategic move by Lopal to capture the sodium-ion battery market. With a total investment of 20 million yuan, the project is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of 20kt of polyanion-type sodium-ion battery cathode materials and is scheduled for completion and operation in H2 of this year. Leveraging years of technological accumulation, the company has successfully overcome industry challenges such as low grinding efficiency and poor production consistency. The NFPP cathode materials produced exhibit significant advantages in high compaction density, high energy density, and long cycle life, and the industrialization process is accelerating.

[SMM Titanium Express] A Xinjiang CPPCC member proposed systematically developing the titanium industry as a new engine for high-quality development. Xinjiang has established a globally leading full industrial chain from titanium ore to sponge titanium and titanium materials, providing a solid foundation for producing high-value aerospace and medical products. The suggestion includes supporting leading firms to collaborate with research institutions on core technologies and leveraging Xinjiang's geographic advantage to export titanium products via the China-Europe Railway Express to Central Asia and Europe. Related enterprises plan to invest in a vanadium-titanium industrial chain project in southern Xinjiang, expected to create substantial employment.

On October 18th, the Jianli Aluminum Industry (Guizhou) Investment Promotion Conference and the inaugural meeting of the Guizhou Committee of the National "Jianli Glass and Aluminum Merchants" Industry Alliance were held in Anshun, Guizhou. Xiang Hong, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Jianli Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee, attended the event and delivered a speech. Yi Gaosheng, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress, Zeng Wei, Deputy Mayor, and Zhang Yi, Vice Chairman of the Municipal CPPCC, also attended the event. In his speech, Xiang Hong noted that in recent years, the municipal Party Committee and government have consistently focused on the goal of "strengthening the city through industry," prioritizing the aluminum industry as a pillar sector and fostering it as the city's fastest-growing and most promising leading industry. Xiang Hong stated that the municipal Party Committee and government will spare no effort to support aluminum industry projects that settle in Jianli. Furthermore, they will continue to optimize government service processes, establish a dedicated investment hotline, promptly respond to business development needs, and create a stable, fair, and transparent development environment for businesses.

To further promote green and low-carbon travel and accelerate the rapid development of the new energy sector in Poli Town, the trial ride ceremony for the "Huawang Zhixing" hydrogen-powered shared bicycles in Poli Town was successfully held on the morning of June 3. As an important attempt in the field of green travel, the hydrogen-powered shared bicycles, with their zero-emission and long driving range features, attracted the attention of many citizens. At the event site, the first batch of participants personally tried out these new-type bicycles, and the feedback was generally positive. The deployment of hydrogen-powered shared bicycles will cover the entire area of Poli Town and its surrounding regions, with a total of 338 standardized parking spots set up. Citizens can conveniently ride these bicycles by scanning a QR code with their mobile phones. Hydrogen-powered bicycles are a vivid example of how technology empowers green travel. Powered by hydrogen fuel cells, they are true "zero-carbon travel tools." Compared with traditional electric two-wheelers, hydrogen-powered shared bicycles adopt advanced hydrogen fuel cell technology, completely solving the problem of long charging times for traditional EVs. During riding, the vehicles only emit water vapor, truly achieving environmental protection. Additionally, they have strong environmental adaptability, with performance unaffected by extreme cold or heat, and no reduction in driving range in winter, making them particularly suitable for all-weather shared operations. Furthermore, the auto body adopts a lightweight design, making riding more effortless, while being equipped with smart locks and APP control systems for convenient operation. With the continuous maturation of hydrogen energy technology, hydrogen-powered shared bicycles are expected to become an important choice for short-distance urban travel in the future. The successful holding of this trial ride ceremony marks another solid step forward for Poli Town in the field of green transportation. Through the independently developed operation platform for hydrogen-powered shared bicycles, it has pioneered the deployment and operation of hydrogen-powered two-wheelers at the township level in Shandong Province, sounding the starting gun for the rapid development of the Qingdao Hydrogen Energy Industrial Park.

The ultra-high compaction NFPP (polyanion) cathode material developed by Puna Energy made its global debut at the 2025 CIBF Shenzhen International Battery Fair. The introduction of this material will rapidly increase the capacity of mainstream 160Ah batteries to 190Ah. Puna Energy has completed the construction of the world's first fully automated mass production line for sodium-ion battery cathode materials, with an annual capacity exceeding 10,000 mt. Its products have been applied as planned in Shanghai's ESS demonstration projects, including projects by Shenergy Group and Shanghai Airport Group.

Currently, with the global energy transition and the booming market of new energy vehicles (NEVs), sodium-ion batteries, as an emerging technology, are gradually attracting significant attention from the industry. Against this backdrop, traditional lithium battery cathode and battery cell enterprises are launching their own new sodium-ion battery products, while sodium-ion battery startups are accelerating the industrialisation process. This trend indicates that the sodium-ion battery industry chain is maturing rapidly, and the divergence in technological approaches is becoming increasingly pronounced. From the perspective of product demonstration, sodium iron pyrophosphate (NFPP) is emerging as the mainstream cathode material direction. This material boasts advantages such as good structural stability, high reversible specific capacity, and long cycle life, thus offering broad application prospects in the preparation of sodium-ion batteries. Multiple enterprises have initially developed sodium-ion battery products using NFPP cathode materials, which have found small-scale demonstration applications in fields such as energy storage for power supply base stations, e-bikes, and data centers.