The South Korean government has begun work to establish a system that officially certifies the value of key minerals extracted from waste batteries, such as lithium and nickel, as recycled raw materials. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced on June 25 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a pilot project on the battery recycled raw material production certification system at the President Hotel in Seoul, with six waste battery recycling companies and the Korea Environment Corporation participating. Through the pilot project, the government plans to verify the certification method in actual production processes before fully implementing the system in May next year. The battery recycled raw material production certification system is a scheme under which the government officially confirms that key battery materials, such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, produced by recycling waste batteries recovered from electric vehicles and other sources are recycled raw materials derived from waste resources. The certification will cover eight types of materials: lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, nickel sulfate, cobalt sulfate, manganese sulfate, graphite, mixed metal precipitate and cathode active materials.

Recently, the annual 30,000-ton retired power battery comprehensive utilization project invested by the company commenced construction in the Changjiang (Changjiang) Clean Energy High-tech Industrial Park Circular Economy Demonstration Zone. According to public information, the total investment of the project is RMB 135 million, covering an area of about 30 mu, located in the above-mentioned industrial park, and constructed in two phases. Upon completion, it will achieve an annual processing capacity of 30,000 tons of waste LIB cells, stably producing high value-added recycled products such as comprehensive utilization batteries, copper granules, aluminum granules, battery casings, and LIB black mass.

【Domestic Dynamics: Sunwoda 50,000-Ton Battery Recycling Phase I Begins Production】 Tengzhou Sunwoda's Phase I lithium-ion battery recycling project has commenced full production in 2026. Spanning 200 acres, the facility fills a critical downstream gap in the regional new energy supply chain. ​Operating on a closed-loop model, its 1.1-km automated line can process 50,000 tons of waste batteries annually—equivalent to recycling 60,000 EVs. ​The highly automated line integrates dismantling, pyrolysis, crushing, and restoration, achieving a 98.5% core element recovery rate to produce high-value black mass. ​By converting waste into lithium, nickel, and cobalt, the project resolves local material shortages and enhances regional supply chain security.

On April 8, the Lianyungang Ecological Environment Bureau released the acceptance public notice for the environmental impact report of the "Jiangsu Dejia Circular Recycling Technology Co., Ltd. Annual Resource Utilization of 50,000 Tons of Spent Lithium-Ion Battery Project." The project will construct one cascade utilization line and two recycling lines, achieving an annual resource utilization capacity of 50,000 tons of spent lithium-ion batteries, including ternary and spent lithium iron phosphate batteries. About 60% of the recovered waste batteries meet cascade utilization requirements, with the remainder entering recycling. Final production capacity:

[Lead-acid Battery Market Dynamics] It is reported that Tianneng Group Guizhou Energy Technology Co., Ltd., located in the Taijiang Economic Development Zone in Guizhou, according to Pang Mingduo, Deputy General Manager of the company: "Currently, the automation rate of the factory's production lines has reached 95%, and capacity has doubled compared to the initial stage. Daily production of new energy batteries has surged from 40,000 units to 135,000 units. Every year, 40,000 mt of waste batteries are recycled and handed over to Guizhou Qizhen Industrial Group Co., Ltd. for processing. The secondary lead they produce can meet 70% of Tianneng's raw material needs."

Three weeks ago until now, the shortage of remelted lead in domestic SEA countries has become significantly more severe. According to SMM’s internal survey, smelters in Malaysia, Vietnam, and India are unable to secure remelted lead to produce refined lead of 99.99% and 99.97%. This tight supply of remelted lead is pushing both domestic and international trading prices of refined lead higher across the mentioned-above regions.

German company, Tozero, announced on March 27 (local time) the official launch of its industrial-scale demonstration plant. The company has built a facility at the Gendorf chemical park in Bavaria, Germany, capable of processing more than 1,500 tons of waste batteries annually. The process enables the recovery of lithium carbonate, graphite, and nickel-cobalt mixtures from spent batteries for reuse as battery raw materials. The plant is expected to recycle resources equivalent to batteries from approximately 6,000 electric vehicles per year, reducing reliance on landfill disposal.

China Carbon Neutral Development Group Limited announced a voluntary strategic cooperation agreement signed in March 2026 between its wholly-owned subsidiary, Xunli Technology, and Hubei Liming Lithium. This partnership aims to jointly promote lithium battery recycling and utilization. Key cooperation areas include recycling network collaboration, small power battery PACK development, supply chain finance support, new energy scenario development ("photovoltaic - energy storage - charging - swapping"), and overseas market expansion. Hubei Liming Lithium, a high-tech enterprise, anticipates processing 20,000 tons of waste batteries by 2026 with a recovery rate exceeding 95% and an annual output value over 400 million yuan.

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."