According to Farasis Energy on March 19, the company recently formally signed a supply contract with a large overseas NEV manufacturer. Under the contract, starting from June this year, Farasis Energy will begin supplying SPS LFP batteries to the overseas client, and all parties to the contract reached agreement on procurement prices, delivery arrangements, and other matters.

Fulin Precision has announced a major capital injection of 1.004 billion yuan into its project company, Inner Mongolia Fulin Era New Energy Material, to accelerate the development of its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) facilities in Ordos. The investment was led by the subsidiary Jiangxi Shenghua (779 million yuan), alongside Qianyuan Huizhi and Jiebao Investment. Consequently, Fulin Era's registered capital has surged from 1 million to over 1.005 billion yuan.

Ouyang Minggao pointed out that large-scale mass production of all-solid-state batteries will still require 3–5 years, with test vehicles expected to appear by the end of 2026. Sulphide electrolyte has fallen from 20 million/mt to the million-level range. However, he stressed that the technical difficulty is extremely high and advised consumers that they “need not wait,” as LFP batteries remain the “ballast stone” at present.

Fulin Precision Machining stated on the interactive platform that its subsidiary Jiangxi Shenghua currently has a capacity of 300,000 mt of high-compaction density LFP cathode material and is advancing the construction of an additional 350,000 mt of high-compaction density LFP cathode material, as well as an annual capacity of 500,000 mt of high-end LFP for energy storage. At present, the Company’s capacity is fully utilized and fully sold.

Geopolitical conflict in the Middle East led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off the global sulphur supply chain (China’s import dependence exceeds 50%, with the Middle East accounting for 56%). Sulphur prices surged to 4,395 yuan/mt, directly pushing up phosphate fertiliser costs. Rigid demand from spring ploughing provided support, but China’s policies to ensure supply and stabilise prices curbed phosphate fertiliser gains。

Tianli Lithium Energy (301152.SZ) announced that starting from January 14, 2026, in order to ensure the efficient, stable, and safe operation of the LFP production line and guarantee the smooth progress of safe production, Sichuan Tianli carried out a planned shutdown for maintenance on the production line. During the maintenance period, Sichuan Tianli conducted comprehensive maintenance, upgrades, and transformations on the production line, laying a solid foundation for subsequent safe, continuous, and efficient production. As of the date of this announcement, Sichuan Tianli has completed the scheduled maintenance plan and fully resumed production operations on February 24, 2026.

[SMM Express] According to reports, Toyota announced that its first mass-produced EV, scheduled for launch in 2026, will adopt front and rear dual integrated casting technology. Toyota initiated the integrated casting project in September 2022, installing large-scale casting machines at its Japanese plants for prototyping EV parts. The company aims to achieve a global sales target of 1.5 million EVs by 2026. As a core strategy, integrated casting technology is expected to halve production steps and reduce manufacturing equipment costs. The next-generation Lexus LF-ZC, also planned for launch in 2026, will also utilize this technology.

On the 11th, executives of LG Energy Solution and L&F agreed to establish a cooperation framework related to LFP cathode materials for energy storage systems (ESS), marking a joint move into the LFP market.

Energy Storage Focus: LFP Batteries Emerge as a Second Marginal Increment to Sulfur Demand

According to a report by Bloomberg on Mining.com, the US Department of Defense (DoD) invested $18 million in Canada's 5N Plus Inc. to help the company expand its germanium metal refining capacity. Germanium is used in night vision systems and other application fields. Mike Cadenazzi, a Pentagon official, stated in an announcement regarding the deal, "Our warfighters rely on next-generation optical technologies for surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting, and germanium is a critical material for manufacturing these devices." The US has been seeking secure supplies of critical minerals to reduce risks and external dependencies. Since 2024, the US has invested over $60 million in Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises producing these materials, including Nano One Materials Corp, which produces LFP battery cathode materials, and other enterprises producing graphite and tungsten. Since 2020, the DoD has been collaborating with the company to improve semiconductor production processes needed for space programs and to produce germanium wafers for solar cells used in defense and commercial satellites. Over the past three years, the stock price of Montreal-based 5N Plus has increased by more than 650%. In November last year, management discussed several demand trends with analysts, including accelerated developments in solar energy and artificial intelligence, which are expected to drive demand growth this year. The company, which began supplying materials for medical imaging in 2000, currently has a market capitalization exceeding C$2 billion ($1.5 billion). 5N Plus sources its germanium from Canada's Teck Resources Ltd., Europe's Umicore SA and Nyrstar NV, as well as scrap recyclers in the US. These materials are used to produce germanium wafers at the company's facility in St. George, Utah. "This funding will enable 5N Plus to significantly increase its germanium metal refining capacity and support its plan to procure germanium from underutilized and previously untapped domestic sources," said Gervais Jacques, the company's CEO. In September last year, Jacques revealed to Montreal's La Presse that the company plans to make a medium-sized acquisition in the US, followed by a smaller acquisition, to expand its manufacturing capacity.