[Overseas renewable energy project connected to China’s electricity market for the first time] On 6 August, hydropower from Laos was transmitted to China’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area via the China-Laos 500 kV interconnector. This power transmission is expected to continue until the end of October, with a total volume of approximately 600 million kilowatt-hours; the relevant electricity will simultaneously participate in trading on the Southern Regional Power Market. This move marks a continued strengthening of the mutual support capacity between China and Laos in the electricity sector and a further improvement in the optimised allocation of cross-regional clean energy.

Copper prices advanced towards a record closing high as tightening physical supply continued to support the market alongside resilient long-term demand. The London Metal Exchange (LME) three-month copper contract strengthened as sustained inflows of metal into the United States and increased buying activity from China reduced the availability of copper in other regions. Large volumes of refined copper have been shipped into the U.S. this year as traders positioned ahead of a potential decision on refined copper import tariffs. At the same time, stronger purchasing activity from China has intensified competition for available material, further tightening the physical market. These developments have contributed to copper gaining approximately 14% since the beginning of 2026, building on three consecutive years of annual gains. Beyond near-term supply tightness, the market continues to be supported by long-term demand from power infrastructure, renewable energy, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence-related data centres. However, declining ore grades at existing operations and the increasing cost and complexity of developing new mines continue to constrain future supply growth. The latest price gains highlight a market increasingly influenced by physical supply constraints rather than demand alone. With inventories remaining tight and new mine supply struggling to keep pace with long-term consumption growth, sustained price strength could continue to support investment in mine expansions, brownfield redevelopment and domestic copper processing capacity.

South Korea will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 7 for the 400MW Haenam solar complex, the country’s largest solar project to date. Located in southern South Korea, the project will be built on around 4.79 million square meters of idle land, including reclaimed saline land, and is expected to be completed in 2028. Once operational, it will generate about 529GWh of electricity annually, equivalent to the consumption of around 130,000 Korean households, and supply companies and industrial complexes with 100% renewable energy targets. The project will use domestically produced modules, cells and inverters, with Hanwha QCells selected to supply cells and modules. It will also include a resident participation and profit-sharing mechanism, returning around KRW 150 billion in generation profits to the local community over the project period.

Latvia’s solar capacity has reached 1.52GW, according to the Latvian Renewable Energy Alliance, implying around 601MW of new additions so far in 2026 and making this year the country’s strongest year for solar deployment. Five new solar parks with a combined connection capacity of 519MW have been connected to the transmission grid this year, located in Ventspils, South Kurzeme, Valmiera, Madona and Krāslava. In addition, around 782MW of utility-scale solar is connected to the distribution grid, while microgeneration systems of up to 11.1kW now total around 220MW. Strong capacity growth helped solar become Latvia’s largest electricity source in May and June, with solar generation reaching 274GWh in June, equal to 55% of total national electricity generation.

Mainstream Renewable Power has started commercial operation of its 50MW Ilikwa Solar PV Plant in South Africa’s Free State province. The facility will supply renewable electricity to multiple C&I customers under Renewable Energy Supply Agreements, offering shorter-term and more flexible power contracts. The project is jointly owned by Mainstream Renewable Power and Investec, with expected annual generation of around 141GWh.

Glencore has announced plans to pursue a secondary listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), a move aimed at expanding its access to one of the world's largest pools of mining-focused institutional capital while strengthening support for its long-term copper growth strategy. According to the company, the listing is intended to broaden its shareholder base, improve trading liquidity and enhance its presence in one of its key operating regions. The announcement comes as Glencore continues to target significant growth in its copper business. The company expects copper production to reach 810,000–870,000 tonnes in 2026 and has outlined an ambition to increase annual output to approximately 1.6 million tonnes by 2035 through a combination of organic project development and strategic investments. Glencore also reported US$4 billion in net capital expenditure during the first half of the year, with continued investment across its copper portfolio to support future expansion. While the proposed Australian listing will not involve new share issuance or capital raising, industry analysts believe it could improve Glencore's access to Australia's deep pool of mining investors and provide greater strategic flexibility for future mergers and acquisitions. The planned ASX listing reflects the growing importance of copper in global mining investment strategies. As demand for copper continues to be driven by electrification, renewable energy and digital infrastructure, enhanced access to long-term institutional capital could strengthen Glencore's ability to advance new projects, expand production capacity and pursue strategic acquisitions in the global copper sector.

[SMM Magnesium Survey: Japan's Tokuyama NEDO Magnesium Hydride Project Adopted, Hokkaido Green Hydrogen and Magnesium Supply Chain Launched] The NEDO magnesium hydride supply chain survey project, in which Japan's Tokuyama participates, was officially announced to have been adopted. Wakkanai City will serve as the manufacturing base, and Sapporo City as the hydrogen demand site. The project will carry out surveys on magnesium, SOEC hydrogen production, and magnesium hydride manufacturing, and plans the local recycling of magnesium hydroxide, aiming to build an integrated supply chain of green hydrogen and domestically produced magnesium in Hokkaido. The project implementation period is FY2026.

JSW Steel's Rayalaseema integrated steel plant in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, officially entered construction on July 3, 2026. The ~163.5 billion INR ($1.96 billion) project, developed by wholly-owned subsidiary JSW Rayalaseema Steel, will be built in two phases: Phase 1 invests 45 billion INR ($540 million) for 1 Mt/y of low-carbon steel capacity; Phase 2 adds 118.5 billion INR ($1.42 billion) to reach 2 Mt/y, with commercial production targeted by March 2028. The plant will use EAF technology powered by renewable energy, backed by a 3,850 MW captive solar and wind power project worth 203.5 billion INR ($2.44 billion). Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal attended the launch ceremony.

In H1 2026, China’s coal-fired power generation amounted to 2.5 trillion kWh, with its share of total power generation dropping to 49.7%. Meanwhile, nationwide renewable energy power generation approached 2 trillion kWh, accounting for 41.2% of total power generation, exceeding 40% for the first time. Among this, the total generation from wind and solar power exceeded 1.2 trillion kWh, accounting for roughly one-quarter of total electricity consumption. The installed capacity structure had already undergone a shift: as of end-June 2026, the combined installed capacity of wind and solar power reached 1.95 billion kW, up 16.8% year-on-year. Nationwide renewable energy installed capacity reached 2.455 billion kW, accounting for about 60.7% of China’s total installed capacity.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Australian Vanadium and Alcoa of Australia have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to evaluate the deployment of a 50–80 MW vanadium flow battery energy storage system at Alcoa's alumina refineries in Western Australia. The proposed system would provide 6–8 hours of storage, with the potential to extend beyond eight hours, to support refinery operations, reduce peak electricity demand and increase renewable energy utilisation. The scoping study will assess the technical and commercial feasibility of the project, including battery design, cost estimates, electrolyte supply, financing options and potential government funding. If the study is successful, the parties may progress to detailed feasibility studies and explore commercial arrangements, including potential energy offtake agreements.