A U.S. startup called Valor is developing electrochemical liquid extraction technology to recover copper and other metals from ores and electronic waste. The process aims to reduce energy use and pollution compared with conventional smelting. The company plans to build its first commercial facility in Houston.

Overall, supply in China’s petroleum coke market continued to tighten, while downstream demand remained generally stable with support, and supply and demand fundamentals provided two-way support to the market. Coupled with recent fluctuations in crude oil prices and intensified cost-side bargaining, SMM expected that in the short term, the petroleum coke market would mainly remain in consolidation, with prices of different categories continuing to diverge.

Guotai Environmental Protection convened the 15th meeting of the 4th Board of Directors, reviewing and approving the "Proposal on Amending the Business Scope, Revising the , and Handling Industrial and Commercial Registration Changes." This adjustment not only represents a simple business expansion but also marks a key transformation of this traditional environmental protection enterprise into the field of new energy circular economy.

On February 24, Guotai Environmental Protection held its 15th meeting of the 4th Board of Directors, reviewing and approving the "Proposal on Amending the Business Scope, Revising the , and Handling Industrial and Commercial Registration Changes." This adjustment not only represents a simple business expansion but also marks a critical transformation of this traditional environmental protection enterprise into the field of new energy circular economy—adding businesses such as lithium-ion battery recycling, PV equipment leasing, and battery manufacturing, officially entering the rapidly growing closed-loop of the new energy industry chain. Guotai Environmental Protection's strategic adjustment is not accidental. In recent years, China's new energy vehicle industry has maintained rapid growth. Data shows that in 2025, China's NEV production and sales both achieved nearly 30% growth, with NEVs accounting for 47.9% of new vehicle sales. As early power batteries gradually enter their retirement phase, a massive backend market is accelerating its formation. Power battery recycling involves the collection, processing, and reuse of waste power batteries, aiming to promote resource circulation, protect the ecological environment, and drive long-term industry development. Currently, the standardized recycling rate for waste power batteries in China remains below 50%, with a large number of waste batteries flowing into informal channels such as "small workshops," posing environmental risks and causing the waste of strategic resources. Standardized recycling and utilization of retired power batteries are of great significance for reducing environmental pollution, ensuring the security of national critical metal resources, promoting industrial greening, and enhancing international competitiveness. In February 2025, the State Council Executive Meeting reviewed and passed the "Action Plan for Improving the NEV Power Battery Recycling and Utilization System," explicitly proposing to improve the standard system and achieve standardized, safe, and efficient recycling and utilization of power batteries. Shortly thereafter, six departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment jointly issued the "Interim Measures for the Recycling and Comprehensive Utilization of Waste Power Batteries from New Energy Vehicles," which will take effect on April 1, 2026. This upcoming regulation is regarded by the industry as a "watershed" for the sector. The "Management Measures" establish a "full life cycle" supervision system for power batteries, create a national traceability information platform for NEV power batteries, promote the monitoring of power battery flows and information traceability throughout their life cycle, and clarify the recycling responsibilities of power battery enterprises and NEV producers. This means that power battery recycling will shift from the past "guerrilla" operations to an era of "regular army" engagement. The introduction of the new regulation sets a clear "code of conduct" for the industry, aiming to resolve the structural contradiction between the "segmented" layout of the industry chain and the "full life cycle" management requirements, and to build a closed-loop chain of "production—use—recycling—regeneration."

To standardize the recycling and treatment of waste electrical and electronic products and effectively prevent and reduce environmental pollution, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment recently issued the "Technical Specification for Pollution Control in the Treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products" (HJ 527—2026). The specification is expected to take effect on March 1 this year.

Utah paid $30 million for a bankrupt magnesium plant—but not the $100 million cleanup. Its toxic legacy seeps toward the Great Salt Lake, unpaid. Across the Atlantic, Austria’s LKR cracked magnesium’s code: alloy ZAX210 now shapes into wire for medical implants and 3D printing. Two faces of the same metal: one buried in liability, the other alight with possibility.

Recently, the Hydrogen Energy (Ammonia Energy) Technology Research Center of the Low Carbon Institute published an important research paper in the renowned journal Journal of Materials Chemistry A, titled "The effect of Nafion on electrochemical nitrate reduction over CoRu alloy catalyst." This study, for the first time, reveals the synergistic mechanism by which perfluorosulfonic acid-based polymers enhance the performance of cobalt-ruthenium (CoRu) alloy catalysts, proposes a solvation interface model for electrochemical ammonia synthesis, and provides key theoretical guidance for the design of high-efficiency electrodes for electrochemical ammonia synthesis. The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction can convert nitrate pollutants in water into ammonia, simultaneously achieving pollution control and resource recovery, making it a highly promising green pathway for ammonia synthesis. Perfluorosulfonic acid-based polymers, as the core adhesive in the catalytic layer of membrane electrodes, have had unclear micro-level effects on the catalytic mechanism until now. This study, using a combination of explicit solvent models and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, achieved two key findings: first, perfluorosulfonic acid-based polymers can effectively reduce the dissociation energy barrier of water molecules, promoting proton supply; second, they can enhance the adsorption and activation of nitrate ions on the catalyst surface through orbital interactions with nitrate ions. The research elucidates the influence mechanism of these polymers on electron-proton transport and reaction pathways, revealing the synergistic effects at the ionomer-catalyst layer interface, and provides theoretical support for the construction of membrane electrode interfaces. This achievement is expected to promote the integrated innovation of green ammonia synthesis and wastewater treatment technologies, contributing to the establishment of a sustainable nitrogen cycle and clean energy system. The first author of the paper is Gan Wen, an engineer at the Hydrogen Energy (Ammonia Energy) Technology Research Center of the Low Carbon Institute, who has long been engaged in research on electrochemical ammonia synthesis and nitrogen cycle catalytic materials, established high-throughput computational screening strategies, has applied for a total of 10 invention patents (3 authorized), and has published 8 academic papers as first author.

Glencore has repeatedly faced severe criticism over the pollution issues caused by its Horne smelter in the Rouyn-Noranda region. To complete the preparatory work aimed at reducing pollutant emissions, Glencore has set a rectification deadline for the Horne smelter of January 31. In a statement, Glencore said, "At this stage, certain key issues remain unresolved. It is essential to break the current deadlock immediately to ensure the continued operation of the Horne smelter and the company’s Montreal refinery, as well as to secure the investments needed to support the future development of the smelter."

This week, the comprehensive operating rate for aluminum processing recorded 59.4%, down 1.5 percentage points WoW, overall exhibiting the characteristics of "accelerated seasonal decline and deepening high-price suppression effects.

On September 26, 2025, the General Office of the Hunan Provincial People's Government issued the "Hunan Province Action Plan for Accelerating the Improvement of the New Energy Vehicle Penetration Rate (2025–2026)," focusing on the promotion and application of NEVs and industrial upgrading. It explicitly proposed accelerating the construction of energy replenishment facilities such as hydrogen refueling stations. The core contents are as follows: I. Core Action Targets The core objective is to narrow the gap with the national NEV penetration rate, advancing in phases: By the end of 2025, the gap between the provincial NEV penetration rate and the national average is expected to narrow to within 6%. By the end of 2026, the aim is to reach the national average NEV penetration rate. II. Four Key Action Tasks (1) Consumer Environment Optimization Action Innovating Sales Models : Automakers are encouraged to develop products suited to local scenarios, explore diversified sales models such as leasing instead of purchasing and battery-swapping, and expand ecological cooperation. Improving the Service Network : Promote the establishment of delivery centers and authorized after-sales service sites at the county level and in remote areas, carry out after-sales services in rural areas, and address shortcomings in grassroots services. Extending the Consumption Chain : Standardize the used car market, strengthen battery recycling and leasing management, and enhance the residual value of NEVs. Strengthening Financial Support : Increase credit supply, introduce low-down-payment, long-term financial solutions tailored to younger groups, and optimize NEV insurance services. (2) Commercial Vehicle Replacement Action Public Sector Replacement : Focus on promoting the application of NEVs in public sectors such as buses, taxis, sanitation, and freight delivery, and support key cities for air pollution prevention and control in taking the lead in replacing vehicles in urban construction logistics. Truck Transformation Incentives : Using the phase-out of trucks meeting National IV and lower emission standards as a breakthrough, implement provincial fiscal support and introduce preferential expressway toll policies for new energy trucks. (3) Energy Replenishment Facility Enhancement Action (Including Key Construction of Hydrogen Refueling Stations) Urban Residential Charging Convenience : Implement "unified construction and service" for charging piles in residential areas, provide one-stop services for car purchase, electricity connection, and pile installation, and simplify the application process. Public and Dedicated Facility Support : Improve supporting policies for land use, power grid, and electricity prices for dedicated energy replenishment facilities such as those for buses and trucks, and encourage private capital participation in construction. Energy Replenishment Network Construction at Transportation Hubs : Accelerate the planning and construction of a batch of large power charging (battery swap) stations and hydrogen refueling stations in key areas such as expressway service areas, logistics parks, ports, along major logistics corridors, and national and provincial highways. ; Promote the renovation and expansion of eligible gas (CNG/LNG) stations into comprehensive energy supply stations offering "fuel (gas) + charging (battery swap)" services. Full Coverage of Rural Energy Replenishment : Incorporate charging piles into the "Village Access Project" to achieve full coverage of charging stations in every township and charging piles in every village, promoting the integrated development of energy replenishment facilities with PV systems, parking lots, and others. (IV) Enhanced Support Policy Actions Leveraging Fiscal Funds : Coordinate special funds from the central and provincial levels to implement trade-in and car-to-countryside policies, carry out NEV sales promotions, explore charging consumption subsidies, and encourage municipalities and prefectures to issue car purchase subsidies. Traffic Priority and Parking Incentives : Encourage municipalities and prefectures to grant NEVs traffic priority on core urban routes, along with benefits such as extended operating hours and parking fee reductions in public areas. III. Safeguard Measures Establish a dual-led working mechanism by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission (Provincial Energy Bureau) and the Provincial Department of Commerce, coordinating multiple provincial departments for collaborative advancement; require local governments to refine measures and ensure implementation, while intensifying policy publicity to eliminate misconceptions and foster a social environment supportive of NEV development. This plan is expected to include hydrogen refueling stations as key components of energy replenishment facilities in transportation hubs, advancing them in coordination with charging (battery swap) stations. This will effectively address the energy replenishment challenges for NEVs (particularly hydrogen-powered vehicles), providing solid support for increasing the NEV penetration rate and transforming the energy structure in Hunan.