[ION Minerals Expands Its Lithium Resources Footprint in Texas and Saskatchewan] ION Minerals said it had achieved a major expansion of its diversified lithium resources portfolio in the US and Canada. In a late-March news release, the Houston-based company said the expanded land footprint was achieved through prudent acquisitions, targeted leasing, and focused geological assessments. ION now controls more than 280,000 acres across three project areas, further cementing its position as a leading developer of critical lithium resources for the North American battery supply chain. Smackover is a subsurface geological formation stretching from Florida to Texas and is rich in lithium brine. Source: https://www.mining.com/ [EnergyX's "Lone Star" Project Revolutionizes Domestic Lithium Production in the US] EnergyX's groundbreaking "Lone Star" project marked a major milestone in the US pursuit of critical minerals independence through advanced direct lithium extraction technology. This pioneering facility is the first commercial-scale direct lithium extraction plant to enter operation in the US, addressing long-standing supply chain vulnerabilities while establishing an operational framework for domestic battery-grade lithium production. As demand for critical minerals accelerates amid the global energy transition, the project demonstrates how innovative extraction technologies can transform regional resources into strategic assets. Direct lithium extraction differs fundamentally from traditional mining methods, targeting subsurface brine rather than hard-rock deposits or surface evaporation systems. EnergyX's "Lone Star" project demonstrated this approach through its GET-Lit™ technology, which uses advanced filtration and chemical separation processes to treat brine from the Smackover formation. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/ [University of Surrey Develops a Lithium-Ion Battery Anode to Enhance Energy Storage] Researchers at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) developed a new-type battery design that could significantly extend EV driving range. In a study published in ACS Applied Energy Materials, the researchers introduced a lithium-ion battery anode. The anode achieved one of the highest energy storage capacities reported to date in a silicon-carbon nanotube system, while remaining stable after hundreds of charge cycles. Lithium-ion batteries power a wide range of devices in modern technology. Graphite is the most commonly used anode material, offering high stability but limited energy storage capacity. By contrast, silicon has a much higher capacity, but it expands during charging, causing cracking and performance degradation over time. Source: https://www.automotivepowertraintechnologyinternational.com/

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.

According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on the 30th, Samsung SDI has filed for and is in the process of securing a patent for a composite anode material. The patent, titled “Composite anode active material and anode and lithium secondary battery including the same,” was originally filed on July 10, 2020, and was published on March 24. It covers an anode material combining graphite with an average particle size (D50) of approximately 18μm or larger, graphite of around 10μm or larger, and a silicon-carbon composite. The technology focuses on enhancing structural stability and extending battery lifespan by densely filling the electrode with graphite particles of different sizes.

Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) has signed a revised binding term sheet with the Canadian Government to supply 30,000 tonnes per annum of flake graphite concentrate from its Phase 2 Matawinie Mine in Québec over seven years. The take-or-pay agreement features a fixed price with inflation adjustments and allows NMG to resell volumes, splitting upside revenue with Canada. Bolstered by a $335 million debt commitment from Canadian agencies and existing offtake deals covering over 70% of planned production, this agreement marks a crucial step toward finalizing transaction agreements and reaching a positive final investment decision (FID).

Recently, the Fuding Ecological Environment Bureau in Ningde City, Fujian Province, released the acceptance announcement for the environmental impact assessment document of the "Lithium Battery Material (General Industrial Solid Waste) Collection and Recycling Project" undertaken by an environmental protection technology company in Ningde. This project involves the recycling and processing of waste battery materials and waste lithium battery electrode sheet materials. It utilizes anode (negative electrode) sheets to separate copper particles and graphite powder through crushing and screening processes. The project has an annual capacity of recycling 30,000 tons of waste battery materials and processing 50,000 tons of waste lithium battery electrode sheet materials.

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.