[Dual Momentum in the Magnesium Industry: Coordinated Empowerment of New Development Through Salt Lake Resource Security and Breakthroughs in End-Use Applications] As one of the lightest known structural metallic materials, magnesium combines outstanding properties such as light weight, high strength, and high thermal conductivity, making it a core strategic material supporting industrial upgrading in sectors such as automotive lightweighting and new energy materials. China’s magnesium industry is advancing on two fronts, simultaneously promoting breakthroughs in end-use application technologies and securing raw material supply, overcoming bottlenecks in industrial development and supporting the high-quality development of the magnesium industry.

On March 25, the commissioning ceremony for the waste battery material recycling project of Guangzhou Youmei Recycling Technology Co., Ltd. was held in Baiyun, Guangzhou. As Guangzhou's first waste battery material recycling project, its commencement of production will provide a stable supply of recycled resources for the new energy industry in South China and across the nation. It also represents a crucial step for GAC Group in perfecting its green industry chain and responding to the national "dual carbon" strategy.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Vietnam and Russia have signed an agreement in Moscow to develop Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant following talks between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The project includes two nuclear plants with a combined capacity of 400MW in former Ninh Thuan province (now Khanh Hoa), marking a major step in Vietnam’s long-term energy diversification strategy. The agreement is expected to strengthen cooperation in high technology, research, and industrial development, while supporting Vietnam’s rapidly rising electricity demand. The Government estimates that power consumption will increase by 12-13percent in 2025 and reach 1,200 billion kWh by 2045

According to industry sources on the 25th, the French government announced the launch of the “France Batterie” alliance at the gigafactory of Automotive Cell Company (ACC) located in Billy-Berclau, northern France. ProLogium Technology, a solid-state battery company backed by investments from POSCO and EV Advanced Materials, has joined the alliance.

On the 25th at POSCO Center in Seoul, POSCO Future M signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kumho Petrochemical and BEI for the joint development of anode-free lithium metal battery technology. The anode-free lithium metal battery under development eliminates the use of an anode material, enabling a 30–50% increase in energy density by utilizing the additional space within the battery.

SMM learned that BAIC R&D recently announced the successful development of sodium-ion battery prototypes. The first prismatic battery pack using prismatic battery cells achieved an energy density exceeding 170 Wh/kg, placing it in the industry’s top tier. It also supports 4C ultra-fast charging, enabling recharging in 11 minutes. Its temperature-range adaptability and safety performance are outstanding, with stable operation across an ultra-wide range from -40°C to 60°C, energy retention above 92% at -20°C, and no risk of thermal runaway under extreme scenarios. At present, this sodium-ion battery has completed sample finalization, established mass-production processes for prismatic products, and filed 20 patents around core technologies. BAIC has also leveraged this to complete a full technology roadmap covering lithium batteries, solid-state batteries, and sodium-ion batteries, and has mastered a complete set of core sodium-ion battery technologies.

On March 23, Suzhou Huaya Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. issued an announcement stating that the company signed the "Energy Storage Cabinet Product Procurement Framework Agreement" with Suzhou Landong Technology Co., Ltd. The estimated total annual transaction amount does not exceed 20 million yuan, accounting for 1.12% of the company's audited net assets in 2024. According to the terms of the framework agreement, Landong Technology intends to purchase precision metal structural components, which are Huaya Intelligence's main products, for use in the production of its energy storage cabinets. Furthermore, all production and manufacturing related to Landong Technology's business products will be completed by Huaya Intelligence.

On March 23, Youngy Co., Ltd. issued an announcement stating that the company has approved a proposal to invest in the construction of an annual 50,000-ton high-performance lithium-ion battery anode material project, with a total fixed asset investment of approximately 1.1 billion yuan. The project will be implemented in Lanzhou New Area by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lanzhou Youngy Materials Technology Co., Ltd. Lanzhou Youngy Materials completed its industrial and commercial registration in December 2024. As early as May 2025, it signed a "State-Owned Construction Land Use Rights Transfer Contract" with the Lanzhou New Area Natural Resources and Planning Bureau, acquiring 208,451.60 square meters of industrial land in Lanzhou New Area for a transfer price of 49.77 million yuan.

[SMM Hydrogen Energy Flash] On March 17, the senior management team of Putzmeister visited SANY Hydrogen, and the two sides formally reached an intention for cooperation in the European market. This opened a new foreign trade model of "Chinese technology + German service.

On March 20, the Information Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Government held a press conference in the series “Implementing the ‘1571’ Work Deployment and Promoting High-Quality Development in Inner Mongolia,” providing a special briefing on the region’s achievements in green hydrogen industry development, key tasks for 2026, and the 15th Five-Year Plan. It made clear that, by leveraging its advantages in wind and solar power resources, Inner Mongolia will advance the full-chain layout of green hydrogen and continue to lead the nation’s green hydrogen industry. Key Focuses of the Hydrogen Energy Industry in 2026: Building a Pioneer Zone for Green Hydrogen Development In 2026, with the construction of a national pioneer zone for the green hydrogen industry as its core goal, Inner Mongolia will comprehensively advance the large-scale deployment of green hydrogen. It will launch pilot projects for large-scale off-grid hydrogen production, expand application scenarios such as blending green hydrogen into natural gas and coupling with the chemical and metallurgical industries, while simultaneously building green hydrogen industrial parks and broadening channels for the non-power use of green electricity. Within the year, construction will begin on three green hydrogen pipelines, including the Ulanqab–Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei route, to improve the transmission network. At the same time, the region will focus on breakthroughs in hydrogen energy technology, deepen collaboration among industry, academia, research, and application, and advance the implementation of demonstration projects for the first unit (set) of hydrogen energy equipment and collaborative innovation projects integrating wind and solar power, hydrogen, and energy storage, so as to consolidate the industry’s technological foundation. Green Hydrogen Industry Achievements Lead the Nation, with Advantages in Both Scale and Cost Becoming Prominent Inner Mongolia is richly endowed with wind and solar power resources, with technically developable wind and solar power resources exceeding 10 billion kW, accounting for one-quarter of the national total, laying a solid foundation for the green hydrogen industry. At present, multiple industry indicators ranked among the top nationwide. A total of 19 policies covering the entire industry chain of green hydrogen had been introduced; 7 projects were included in national demonstration programs; 8 projects were completed and put into operation, forming annual capacity of 80,000 mt. Green hydrogen production reached 12,694 mt in 2025, surging 3.6 times YoY; production in January and February 2026 was 2,653.6 mt, with production costs at 17-20 yuan/kg, only 60% of the national average. In addition, the country’s first provincial-level green hydrogen pipeline plan had been implemented, and the pipeline network featuring “one trunk line, two loops, and four outlets” was being accelerated. The hydrogen pipeline from Darhan Muminggan Banner to urban Baotou had already been completed, while green hydrogen applications now covered transportation, chemicals, power, and other fields, with the consumer market maturing rapidly. Precise Planning Under the 15th Five-Year Plan to Build a Strong Hydrogen Energy Industry Cluster During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, based on its existing foundation, Inner Mongolia will build a distinctive hydrogen energy industry cluster and focus on advancing four major tasks: scientifically formulate industry plans and reasonably lay out clusters by producing based on sales; tackle core technologies such as off-grid hydrogen production and flexible electrolyzers to raise the industry’s technological level; expand diversified application scenarios, improve business models, and open up the entire chain of production, storage, transportation, refueling, and utilization; accelerate the construction of green hydrogen pipelines within the region and across provinces, reduce transportation costs, comprehensively enhance the competitiveness of the green hydrogen industry, and support the industry in continuing to lead the nation.