Raw material side, spot lithium carbonate prices fluctuated this week, cobalt sulphate prices remained temporarily stable, and nickel sulphate prices dropped slightly.

Metallum is expanding its global recycling and trading network in partnership with Switzerland’s Thommen Group. The company handles recyclable metals including copper and integrates closely with processing operations. Traders are increasingly combining recycling and trading into unified business models.

Eriez reported that its Shred1 system can increase copper recovery rates to about 94% in scrap processing. The technology uses magnetic forces and ballistic separation to improve sorting efficiency. Such innovations are enhancing both recovery rates and material quality in recycling operations.

On March 19, Farasis Energy announced that it has reached a strategic cooperation with a major overseas new energy vehicle company, and both parties have signed a supply contract. According to the agreement, starting from June this year, Farasis Energy will supply SPS lithium iron phosphate batteries to this customer. The contract has reached consensus on core terms such as purchase price and delivery arrangements. The SPS (Super Pouch Solution) large-format pouch power battery solution supplied this time integrates four innovative technologies: large-format pouch cells, system design, manufacturing, and direct recycling.

[SMM Titanium Express] Guizhou Province's 2026 key projects list includes multiple titanium chemical projects: Kaiyang "P-S-Ti-Cu-Fe-Li-F" integrated project with 400,000 tpa TiO₂ and 1.4Mtpa ferrous sulfate heptahydrate; Kaiyang Sunward 300,000 tpa TiO₂ project with nearly 5.1 billion yuan investment targeting 10 billion yuan annual output; Sunward Fuquan 100,000 tpa TiO₂ project with pyrite acid plant, achieving full "Ti-P-S-Fe" resource recycling.

Russia’s Solikamsk Magnesium Works recently launched industrialised production of magnesium alloys containing rare earth elements such as neodymium, cerium, and lanthanum. The products combine lightweight properties with high strength and are mainly targeted at sectors including aerospace and automotive manufacturing. The plant accounts for 100% of Russia’s rare earth compound production and 75% of its magnesium capacity, and this capacity expansion further consolidates its position in the strategic metals sector. Meanwhile, the “magnesium-based hydrogen slurry” technology developed by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute has sparked controversy. Independent analysis indicated that the technology’s overall system efficiency is only about 10, its energy density is comparable to that of lithium batteries, its cost is far higher than expectations, and its recycling chain has yet to form a closed loop. It is only suitable for demonstration scenarios at the hundred-watt level and is unlikely to achieve commercial application. The two pieces of news reflect the different technological pathways and industrialisation prospects of magnesium-based materials in high-end manufacturing and energy storage.

Nexans is developing a large copper recycling center capable of processing up to 80,000 tonnes of scrap annually. The project aims to reduce reliance on primary copper and improve supply resilience. The company highlighted recycled copper as a strategic resource amid tightening global supply.

One and One Green Technologies is expanding into the e-waste recycling market in Metro Manila. The company processes electronic scrap and industrial waste into copper alloy ingots and other products. Analysts see Southeast Asia emerging as a key growth region for recycled copper supply.

[SMM Rare Earth Weekly Review: Rare Earth Prices Pulled Back Significantly, Downstream Inquiries and Procurement Decreased] Affected by fluctuations in futures prices, confidence in the Pr-Nd oxide market dropped sharply. Traders proactively sold off cargoes at low prices, causing transaction prices in the Pr-Nd oxide market to fall rapidly. As of today, Pr-Nd oxide prices had already pulled back to 690,000-700,000 yuan/mt.

[Hyundai Motor Group and Huayou Cobalt Jointly Built a Power Battery Recycling System in Indonesia] Recently, Hyundai Motor Group signed a cooperation agreement with Zhejiang Huayou Recycling Technology Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of Huayou Cobalt) to jointly build an EV power battery recycling system in Indonesia. The cooperation covered the recycling and utilization of battery production scrap and end-of-life batteries, aiming to achieve a closed-loop resource system throughout the entire battery life cycle.