[SMM Steel] On March 26, 2026, the Indian government approved $42 million in funding for three pilot projects to produce steel using green hydrogen. Part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, these projects will be completed within three years by Matrix Gas Renewables, Simplex Castings, and SAIL. The pilots will test 100% hydrogen use in Direct Reduction Iron (DRI) and hydrogen injection in blast furnaces to significantly reduce coal and coke consumption.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Vietnam and Russia have signed an agreement in Moscow to develop Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant following talks between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The project includes two nuclear plants with a combined capacity of 400MW in former Ninh Thuan province (now Khanh Hoa), marking a major step in Vietnam’s long-term energy diversification strategy. The agreement is expected to strengthen cooperation in high technology, research, and industrial development, while supporting Vietnam’s rapidly rising electricity demand. The Government estimates that power consumption will increase by 12-13percent in 2025 and reach 1,200 billion kWh by 2045

On the 25th, it was confirmed that the South Korean government will exempt tariffs of 3–8% on critical minerals such as lithium, graphite, and rare earth elements when domestically owned companies directly produce and import them from overseas. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has pre-announced a new regulation outlining tariff exemptions for overseas resource development projects. Under the policy, a total of 14 critical minerals—including lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper, zinc, and rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, terbium, dysprosium, yttrium, and scandium—will be eligible for duty exemption when brought into the country. The regulation is set to take effect on April 3.

Dongwon Group has built a large-scale battery manufacturing facility in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. The investment totals $80 million (approximately KRW 120 billion). On Mar. 25 (local time), the Baja California state government and the Secretariat of Economic Innovation (SEI) officially announced the successful attraction of new Korean investment, stating that Mexicali is emerging as a key hub for high value-added industries.

The U.S. government has shifted from policy announcements to actively deploying capital, channeling funds through multiple programs to strengthen domestic and allied critical mineral and metal supply chains and related manufacturing. In practice, this financing is delivered through several key agencies: the Department of Energy (especially the Loan Programs Office), the Department of Defense (including Defense Production Act Title III and the Office of Strategic Capital), the Department of Commerce (such as the CHIPS Program Office), USDA Rural Development for select industrial support, and the International Development Finance Corporation for strategic overseas investments, alongside the Export-Import Bank, which plays a major role in funding projects from mining to manufacturing.

South Korea's 'MOIS' has launched a national drive to establish community-owned solar cooperatives, targeting 2,500 'Sunlight Income Villages' by 2030. Under the program, communities will install 300 kW to 1 MW plants on idle land to share revenues among residents. The government is offering long-term, low-interest loans covering up to 85% of costs from a KRW 450 billion renewable energy fund in 2026. To overcome grid bottlenecks, the initiative grants projects priority grid access and 'ESS' installation support, while mandating the use of domestically produced modules and inverters.

The UK government has supported over 780 solar projects since July 2024, ranging from school rooftops to utility-scale power plants. Recent data reveals 8.1 GW secured backing through the 'contracts-for-difference' ('CfD') scheme across the sixth and seventh allocation rounds. An additional 2.7 GW gained approval via the 'National Significant Infrastructure Project' ('NSIP') stream, including the massive 600 MW Cottam Solar Project. Furthermore, 'Great British Energy' and the Community Energy Fund have backed hundreds of distributed installations, while the state-owned National Wealth Fund is injecting hundreds of millions of pounds into gigawatt-scale 'BESS' deployments to support the growing renewable grid.

According to Open Access Government, Canada Nickel Company is pioneering net-zero mining at its Crawford Project by integrating carbon mineralization directly into its workflow. The site, expected to produce over 48,000 tonnes of nickel and 500,000 tonnes of 304-grade stainless steel annually, utilizes ultramafic rocks to permanently sequester CO2. Through patent-pending In-Process Tailings (IPT) carbonation and a recent successful in-situ underground pilot funded by the US DOE, CO2 is converted into stable carbonate minerals. This dual approach not only offsets emissions but naturally fractures the rock, lowering energy and grinding costs. This positions Crawford as a scalable template for a net-zero industrial cluster, turning carbon management into a core value driver.

According to Bloomberg, the UK government defended its decision to hike out-of-quota steel import tariffs from 25% to 50% and slash import quotas by 60%, effective July 1. Trade Minister Chris Bryant argued the measures are crucial to shield the ailing domestic steel industry from "artificially low prices" driven by cheap imports, especially from China, and global tariff wars. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration insists these targeted protections are vital for maintaining a level playing field. Without such interventions, the UK risks losing thousands of jobs and becoming the only G7 nation without primary steel-making capabilities, following last year's state intervention to rescue British Steel.

According to industry sources on the 25th, the French government announced the launch of the “France Batterie” alliance at the gigafactory of Automotive Cell Company (ACC) located in Billy-Berclau, northern France. ProLogium Technology, a solid-state battery company backed by investments from POSCO and EV Advanced Materials, has joined the alliance.