Nuode (600110) disclosed its semi-annual report on July 30. H1 revenue was 6.433 billion yuan, up 113.33% YoY;net profit attributable to shareholders of the publicly listed firm was 103 million yuan, versus a loss of 72.4329 million yuan in the same period last year, marking a turnaround to profitability YoY; basic earnings per share was 0.0598 yuan.During the reporting period, the supply-demand pattern of the lithium battery copper foil industry experienced a complete reversal:outdated low-end capacity continued to exit the market, the rollout of new capacity in the industry slowed down, and combined with the surge in demand from both power batteries and energy storage, copper foil processing fees bottomed out. Leveraging its differentiated product portfolio of ultra-thin lithium battery copper foil and high-end electronic copper foil, the company successfully achieved a turnaround to profitability, with overall profitability improving significantly QoQ and YoY.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast held a summit in Santiago, and on Thursday the two countries signed five memorandums of understanding, including a mineral resources cooperation document aimed at deepening cooperation in the lithium and copper supply chains.Lee Jae-myung stated that the two countries are "natural and ideal partners" in the field of critical minerals. He pointed out that Chile is the world's largest copper producer and possesses the world's largest lithium reserves, while South Korea has global leading advantages in high-end industries such as semiconductors and power batteries.This mineral cooperation agreement elevates bilateral relevant cooperation to the ministerial level, and plans to expand entire industry chain cooperation for core resources such as lithium and copper, covering information sharing, technology cooperation, and personnel exchanges.

Thermal energy storage provider Antora Energy has closed a $550 million Series C funding round to accelerate deployment of its thermal battery systems for industrial facilities and data centers in the United States. While not a lithium-ion BESS, the raise is significant for the broader storage sector as it demonstrates investor willingness to fund alternative long-duration storage technologies. Antora’s systems store energy as heat and deliver both electricity and industrial process heat, addressing a segment of the market that electrochemical batteries cannot serve. The funding round, one of the largest for a non-lithium storage technology this year, signals growing diversification in the U.S. storage investment landscape beyond conventional battery chemistries.

Abu Dhabi-based Kinetic7 Technologies said hydrogen produced on demand at the point of use could strengthen energy security by reducing dependence on imported fuel, large-scale storage and centralised infrastructure. Its technology uses water and electrolysis to generate hydrogen only when required and has been incorporated into portable cooking systems and the commercial HODBox unit for hospitality and catering applications. The company is also developing a residential version initially targeting off-grid households, which could be powered by solar panels, batteries or grid electricity.

[Secondary Lead Production Update] A secondary lead smelter in southwest China had average refined lead output in July, with relatively low recycling volume of scrap batteries. In August, there is a possibility of maintenance-related production suspension. If production continues, it will maintain a similar output level. The final production schedule will be adjusted according to the lead price market trend.

In H1 2026, South Korea’s NEV sales and exports posted double-digit growth, while domestic battery output declined. BEV sales rebounded from a low base, but export growth was led by hybrids, limiting the impact on large-format battery and NCM demand. NCM cell output continued to fall, while LFP capacity expanded. LFP-based ESS is emerging as a new growth driver, but remains too small to offset the NCM decline.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has issued the 15th Five‑Year Plan for Green and Low‑Carbon Industrial Development, which calls for consolidating and upgrading green competitive industries. It accelerates technological iteration and scenario expansion in key sectors such as new energy vehicles (NEVs), new energy equipment, and new‑type energy storage. It promotes innovative applications of next‑generation power batteries, automotive‑grade chips, and automotive operating systems, and expands the deployment of heavy‑duty NEV trucks in scenarios including trunk line transport, short‑and‑medium‑haul logistics, urban construction, and mining and port operations. It substantially increases the share of green electricity used in polysilicon production, breaks through design and manufacturing technologies for highly reliable wind turbines in desert‑Gobi‑wasteland, high‑altitude, and deep‑sea environments, and promotes the integrated application of wind‑solar‑storage equipment tailored to local conditions. It accelerates the development of large‑capacity, high‑safety, all‑climate, long‑life lithium‑battery products, extends high‑performance lithium batteries to applications in low‑altitude equipment, intelligent robots, electric vessels, electric construction machinery, and new‑energy agricultural machinery, and expands new‑type energy storage applications in areas such as coordinated power supply operation and grid stability support.

With the booming development of the new energy vehicle industry, China's first wave of power batteries has entered a large-scale retirement phase. Recently, lithium battery recycling projects have been intensively launched across multiple regions nationwide, covering every link of the industrial chain — from dismantling and crushing to hydrometallurgy, from cascade utilization to material regeneration.

With the vigorous development of the NEV industry, China's first batch of power batteries entered a large-scale "retirement period." Recently, lithium battery recycling projects were intensively launched nationwide, from dismantling and crushing to hydrometallurgy, from second-life application to material regeneration, comprehensively accelerating the layout of all links in the industry chain.

Recently, the company and the management committee of Huanggang High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Hubei, held a signing ceremony for the LFP battery circular base project. According to public information, the project adopts the combined "physical dismantling + hydrometallurgy" recycling process. Production lines cover waste LIB dismantling, reduction roasting furnace, carbonization, leaching and purification, extraction, and evaporative crystallization equipment. Final products include battery-grade lithium carbonate, battery-grade nickel sulfate, battery-grade cobalt sulfate, and battery-grade manganese sulfate, achieving closed-loop recycling from waste batteries to high-end battery materials.