Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, part of Jameel Energy, has secured 2.3GW of transmission grid capacity in Germany to support battery storage, solar PV and hybrid renewable projects. FRV said grid access has become a decisive factor for large-scale renewable and storage projects in Germany. The secured portfolio is expected to reach ready-to-build status between 2026 and 2029 across regions including Brandenburg, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, covering 2-hour and 4-hour BESS projects, solar PV plants and hybrid projects.

Octopus Energy has launched SolarUp in Germany, targeting PV systems that have reached the end of their 20-year feed-in tariff period as well as new solar customers seeking more predictable energy costs. The package combines a fixed-price electricity tariff, annual payments for exported surplus power, battery storage and inverter retrofits.

On June 17th, Shenhuo Coal & Power Co., Ltd. released its investor relations activity record. Regarding the coal sector, the company has an annual production capacity of 7.95 million tons, with an estimated annual output of 6.95 million tons, mainly anthracite and lean coal, with a clean coal rate of approximately 75%, and prices fluctuating with market conditions. Since the beginning of this year, coal prices have generally stabilized and rebounded, leading to improved profitability in the coal sector. In the aluminum processing sector, the company currently has an aluminum foil production capacity of 140,000 tons/year and an aluminum foil billet production capacity of 265,000 tons/year. The 50,000-ton/year new energy battery aluminum foil project in Shangqiu is currently progressing smoothly.

Bangladesh has announced a major policy package to accelerate solar development, including a 0% tax rate for the solar sector until 2035 and a 5% tax rebate on consumers’ solar electricity bill payments. The government will also reduce import duty, regulatory duty, supplementary duty and advance tax to 0% on key solar components, including inverters, lithium cells, lithium-ion batteries, PV modules, mounting structures, BESS, battery management systems, solar DC cables and battery thermal management systems. The policy aims to attract investment and support Bangladesh’s target of meeting 20% of electricity demand from renewables by 2030 and 30%-50% from clean energy by 2050. SMM believes lower taxes and equipment import costs will support utility-scale and distributed solar development, while improving the attractiveness of local renewable energy equipment manufacturing.

Spanish renewable energy developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) has announced that it has secured 2.3GW of grid connection capacity in Germany for the development of battery energy storage (BESS), solar, and hybrid energy projects, with the relevant projects expected to progressively reach "Ready to Build" (RTB) status between 2026 and 2029. The projects are mainly distributed across the states of Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia, covering standalone storage, solar, and hybrid solar-storage projects. Among them, a 750MW storage project in Brandenburg is nearing construction permit approval; the Lower Saxony portfolio totals nearly 700MW, including a 600MW battery storage facility, a 13.8MW solar plant, and three hybrid projects; while North Rhine-Westphalia is planning a portfolio exceeding 900MW in total scale, including a 900MW/3,600MWh battery storage facility. FRV stated that, against the backdrop of widespread grid connection constraints facing large-scale renewable energy projects in Germany, securing transmission grid access capacity in advance will provide critical assurance for project development. The company plans to deploy 2-hour and 4-hour duration storage systems, storing surplus renewable energy and releasing it during peak demand periods to enhance grid flexibility and renewable energy absorption capacity, supporting Germany's energy transition.

Dynanonic announced a proposed private placement to raise up to RMB 2.9 billion. Proceeds will mainly be used for its Phase I integrated lithium battery materials project, which is expected to add 200,000 tonnes per year of high-density phosphate material capacity.

[Silicon metal futures fluctuate narrowly, spot market largely stable]: Downstream and trader procurement sentiment is cautious, with some users digesting previous low-price inventories. Clients outside China have purchase price expectations lower than current prices, and sentiment for new orders in the market is sluggish. Some users expect to purchase via futures point pricing at around 8,400-8,500 yuan/mt. On the supply side, the increase in operating rates of silicon enterprises in Sichuan and Yunnan during the rainy season is already within expectations, with few new variables in the market. As variables on both supply and demand sides are highly deterministic in the short term, market sentiment in the buyer-seller tug-of-war appears rational. The silicon metal price center is expected to remain near the low end of the range in the near term.

SMM, June 18: This week, SMM #1 lead ingot prices fluctuated upward from early to mid-week, then came under pressure and pulled back near the weekend. Driven by tight raw material inventories and bullish sentiment on lead prices, a small number of secondary lead smelters slightly raised their purchase prices for scrap batteries, while most producers kept their offers flat with last week. The industry remained in losses, with enterprises unwilling to actively raise prices to source materials, and the market largely adopted a wait-and-see approach. With lead prices weak and downstream consumption sluggish, smelters, despite low raw material inventories, had no incentive to raise prices for restocking. The anti-decline property of scrap battery prices became evident, and smelters also held a wait-and-see stance on price adjustments during the lead price uptrend. Next week, with smelters simultaneously undergoing production cuts, shutdowns, and resumptions, demand for scrap battery feedstock is mixed between bullish and bearish factors, and scrap battery purchase prices are expected to remain stable in the near term.

Yinghe Technology announced plans to acquire a 100% stake in Aonhua (Shanghai) Automation Engineering Co., Ltd. for Yuan 204 million. Upon completion, Aonhua Automation will become a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. Yinghe stated that the acquisition will strengthen its downstream integration capabilities and enable full-process equipment coverage from electrode manufacturing to module and PACK assembly, enhancing its one-stop lithium battery production line solutions.

SMM, June 18: Lead prices first rose then fell this week. At the beginning of the week, smelters showed clear divergence in shipments, with secondary refined lead quoted at discounts of 25 yuan/mt to premiums of 125 yuan/mt. Downstream battery plants digested inventories, weakening transactions. Mid-week, increased maintenance at smelters tightened supply, and mainstream quotations shifted to discounts of 50-0 yuan/mt. Towards the weekend, lead prices pulled back slightly, with the discount range remaining unchanged. Ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, downstream users halted procurement early, with a strong wait-and-see sentiment prevailing. Spot transactions were sluggish throughout the week. Lead prices rose by 345 yuan/mt on a weekly basis. Downstream users turned wait-and-see before the Dragon Boat Festival, and transactions for secondary refined lead were subdued. Smelters' raw material inventories declined, but they were reluctant to raise purchase prices for feed, leaving scrap battery purchase prices basically stable. As of June 18, large secondary lead enterprises suffered losses of 395 yuan/mt, while small and medium-sized plants incurred losses of 597 yuan/mt, narrowing by 113-115 yuan/mt compared with June 12. Looking ahead, with both production increases and cuts coexisting among secondary smelters, the quotation range for refined lead is expected to remain between discounts of 50 yuan/mt and premiums of 50 yuan/mt. Currently, low raw material inventories at smelters underpin scrap battery prices, but raising purchase prices for feed would exacerbate losses. Purchase prices are expected to remain predominantly stable. With weak finished product prices and high costs, the industry's loss-making situation is unlikely to improve in the short term, with small and medium-sized plants suffering more severe losses.