On January 16, China's largest behind-the-meter (BTM) energy storage project, jointly built by Great Power and Sichuan Zhongfu, was officially connected to the grid and put into operation. Boasting a scale of 107.12MW/428.48MWh, it is also the first large-scale BTM energy storage project in the aluminum industry. Upon grid connection and operation, it will help the industrial park substantially cut power consumption costs, improve power supply reliability, and set a benchmark for the green and low-carbon transformation of energy-intensive industries in Guangyuan, Sichuan Province, and across China. For this BTM energy storage project, Great Power delivered a reliable, durable, smart and efficient overall solution for the energy storage power station. It adopts the Great Com liquid-cooled energy storage system with high safety, high energy efficiency and long cycle life, and is equipped with the Great E intelligent operation management system. Meanwhile, by applying electrolysis energy storage DC-connected technology jointly developed by both parties — a pioneering innovation in the aluminum industry — this technology can be combined with PV to form a "PV + energy storage coupled" DC direct supply system, significantly reducing power losses, enhancing economic benefits, and achieving efficient transformation of technological innovation into low-carbon transition practices. Against the strategic backdrop of Guangyuan City striving to build itself into China’s Green Aluminum Hub, aluminum industry, which is an energy-intensive sector, has long been plagued by soaring power costs, difficulties in consuming green power, and mounting carbon emission pressure. Closely aligning with the core demands of the industry and the project, Great Power relied on its profound technological expertise and mature project delivery system in the energy storage sector. Despite complex construction conditions, the full-capacity grid connection was completed in merely over 100 days, demonstrating the company’s solid engineering capability and efficient project execution. As the nation’s largest project of its kind and the first large-scale BTM energy storage project in the aluminum sector, this energy storage power station is expected to reduce the power cost of aluminum production in the Guangyuan Economic Development Zone Aluminum Industrial Park by approximately RMB 140 per ton. It will save over RMB 60 million in annual power costs, cut standard coal consumption by around 19,700 tons per year, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 52,000 tons, markedly boosting corporate economic benefits and accelerating green transformation. The official operation of the project consolidates the foundation for low-carbon and high-quality development of China’s Green Aluminum Hub. It also marks Great Power's breakthrough in the BTM energy storage business, providing a replicable model for high-energy-consuming industries to cut costs, improve efficiency and pursue low-carbon transformation via smart energy solutions. Going forward, Great Power will continue to focus on energy storage technological innovation, inject impetus into the green transformation of various industries and the development of the new power system, and contribute steadily to the achievement of the national dual-carbon goals.

According to the draft National Steel Policy 2025, India plans to aggressively expand its steel production capacity to 400 million tons by the 2035-36 fiscal year, requiring approximately $183.41 billion in capital investments. The policy heavily focuses on decarbonization and raw material independence, aiming to reduce reliance on imported coking coal to 80% from the current 90%. Furthermore, the government intends to lower average steel mill emissions to 2 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of rolled steel, promoting gas-based production and scrap utilization.

The German federal government recently approved the 2026 Climate Protection Plan and will allocate an additional 8 billion euros over the next four years to help achieve its 2030 emissions reduction targets through measures such as expanding installed wind power capacity and increasing subsidies for NEVs. Germany’s Environment Ministry stated that by 2030, these measures could additionally reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 25 million mt, while cutting consumption of nearly 7 billion m³ of natural gas and about 4 billion liters of gasoline. German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said the climate protection plan would inject “new momentum” into climate action while helping reduce Germany’s dependence on costly and unstable oil and gas imports.

[French Lithium Company Launches Geothermal Well Testing at the Schwabwiller Site in Alsace] The first geothermal exploration well drilled by the French lithium company at the Schwabwiller site in the Grand Ried department of Alsace, France, has begun well testing. This phase will last 3–5 weeks and is intended to verify the resource’s potential for geothermal heating and lithium production. Drilling at the Schwabwiller site began in November 2025, with a target depth of approximately 2,400 meters. The project is expected to drill a pair of wells, with a bottom-hole spacing of about 1,000 meters. The drilling campaign is expected to take a total of seven months. If results are positive, the French lithium company’s project is expected to provide geothermal heating for enterprises, farms, and local communities in northern Alsace. In addition, extracting lithium from geothermal brine will produce lithium with a lower environmental footprint, with carbon dioxide emissions reduced by about 70% compared with lithium currently on the market. Source: https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/ [Li-FT Power Strategic Assessment of the Yellowknife Lithium Carbonate Conversion Plant Project] The global lithium chemicals supply chain is at a crossroads, with traditional production models facing unprecedented pressure from accelerating electrification demand. The market landscape is increasingly tilting toward integrated producers, which can capture value across the full chain—from raw ore mining to refining and producing battery-grade lithium chemicals. This shift reflects a broader strategic realignment across the industry: enterprises are enhancing operational resilience through vertical integration rather than relying on fragmented commodity supply chains. Li-FT Power’s recently announced Yellowknife lithium carbonate conversion plant project is a representative case of this strategic evolution. The proposed facility targets annual production of 30,000 mt LCE, positioning the company within North America’s emerging battery materials ecosystem. This capacity scale reflects an intentional mid-end positioning, balancing capital efficiency with meaningful market participation. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/ [Zimbabwe Clarifies Why It Hastily Banned Exports of Some of Its Most Critical Minerals] Recently, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Mines, Polit Kambamura, reiterated this rationale, stating that miners’ under-reporting of declared volumes constitutes a serious problem that cannot be ignored. He noted that the issue has become so widespread that the government was forced to bring forward the disciplinary timetable by one year. The government had originally planned to begin imposing an export ban on lithium concentrates next year, but due to rising production and newly issued export permits, it moved to launch the ban as quickly as possible. At a press conference after a Cabinet meeting in the country’s capital, Harare, Kambamura told reporters: “The ban will remain in effect until the conditions proposed by the government or new expectations are met.” Source: https://africa.businessinsider.com/ [Rock Tech and Siemens Plan to Build a Lithium Converter in Canada] The lithium converter that Rock Tech Lithium is developing in Guben, eastern Germany, is intended to serve as a blueprint for building a similar facility in Canada in cooperation with Siemens. The project will use Siemens’ digital twin technology to digitally replicate, optimize, and scale up the plant’s design and operating processes. The lithium converter that Rock Tech is currently building in Guben, Germany, is designed for an annual output of 24,000 mt of battery-grade lithium hydroxide. The company said this will become the largest facility of its kind in Europe. It is expected to start operations in 2027. The target capacity is equivalent to about 30 Gwh of battery capacity, sufficient to meet demand for about 500,000 EV units per year. Rock Tech also plans to build a similar facility in Red Rock, Ontario, Canada. Siemens AG’s technology will be deployed for the plant’s construction and operations. The two companies have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to establish a long-term, multi-phase strategic partnership focused on developing modern lithium converter capacity. Source: https://www.electrive.com/

Weiyuan Co., Ltd. announced that its 250,000 mt/year electrolyte solvent project has recently completed all processes and successfully produced qualified products. Located in the Lijin Economic Development Zone in Shandong, this project represents an expansion of Weiyuan Co., Ltd.'s business. It utilizes propylene oxide produced by its own propylene oxide facility and tail gas rich in carbon dioxide from other installations as raw materials. Employing internationally advanced green and environmental protection production technology, the project produces carbonate ester-based solvent products for lithium battery electrolytes.

Lihua Yiweiyuan Chemical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Lihua Yiweiyuan") announced today that its "250 kt/year electrolyte solvent project," which it invested in and constructed, had been fully operational and successfully produced qualified products. The project was approved by the shareholders' meeting in December 2022 and, after three years of construction, had now completed the entire production process. The project primarily produced electronic-grade propylene carbonate (PC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and other electrolyte solvents, with by-products including propylene glycol and food-grade carbon dioxide.

Lihuayi Weiyuan Chemical Co., Ltd. announced today that its invested "250,000-ton/year electrolyte solvent project" has been fully operational and has successfully produced qualified products. The project primarily produces electronic-grade propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, and other electrolyte solvents, while also co-producing propylene glycol and food-grade carbon dioxide. With this achievement, Lihuayi Weiyuan's new energy material industrial chain—"propane dehydrogenation—propylene oxide—electrolyte solvent"—has been fully integrated, further strengthening its strategic positioning in the battery materials sector.

On December 16, the 5 MW distributed PV hydrogen production, storage, and refueling integrated project of Yue Shui Dian in Bachu County officially commenced operation and successfully produced hydrogen. This project was contracted by Hopo Engineering, a subsidiary of Hopo Co., Ltd., under the "EPC+O" (Engineering-Procurement-Construction-Operation) model. As the first full industry chain demonstration project in the Kashgar region of Xinjiang integrating PV power generation, water electrolysis for hydrogen production, and hydrogen storage and refueling, and also the region's first skid-mounted integrated green hydrogen demonstration project, it achieved a closed-loop across the entire industry chain from "green electricity to green hydrogen" and from "source-grid-load-storage." The project includes the construction of a 5 MW PV power station and a supporting hydrogen production plant, equipped with water electrolysis hydrogen production systems and hydrogen storage devices. It can produce 432 kg of hydrogen per day and is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 222.59 mt annually. The core equipment of the hydrogen refueling system (compressors, hydrogen dispensers, etc.) are all proprietary brand products from Hopo's subsidiaries. The project took only six months from winning the bid to commencing operation, achieving "commencement and hydrogen production within the same year." This is the third PV hydrogen production, storage, and refueling EPC project delivered by Hopo in Xinjiang, and it will contribute to the development of the local green public transportation system and the optimization of the energy structure.

[SMM News] 370 MW! Zheneng Group's Largest Single PV Power Generation Project Connected to Grid At 16:38 on May 29, Zheneng Group's largest single PV power generation project—the 370 MW PV Power Generation Project of Zheneng Aksu Thermal Power Co., Ltd.—was officially connected to the grid and commenced power generation. The successful commissioning of the project marks a solid step forward for the group in accelerating the construction of "desert, gobi, and wasteland" new energy bases, injecting new momentum into local power supply and energy transition. The project covers an area of approximately 11,000 mu, with an installed capacity of 370 MW. It includes the construction of one 220 kV PV collection station and a 60-kilometer transmission line to the 750 kV substation in Aksu, built simultaneously. According to estimates, upon full operation, the project's annual power generation will meet the electricity needs of 300,000 households, reduce annual consumption of standard coal by approximately 230,000 mt, and cut carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 630,000 mt.

On May 28, the intelligent production line for ultra-fine tungsten carbide powder, invested and constructed by Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Group") and undertaken by Minmetals 23rd Construction Co., Ltd., achieved full-line operation. This project is one of the 102 major projects under China's "14th Five-Year Plan" and a "Top 100 Projects" in strategic emerging industries. Approved in June 2023, it took two years to build an intelligent production line with an annual capacity of 3,000 mt of high-quality ultra-fine tungsten carbide powder. The project selected a batch of domestically pioneered, efficient, and low-consumption fully automatic powder production equipment, significantly improving production efficiency and product quality. Production efficiency increased nearly fourfold, and processing costs decreased by over 30% YoY. The project pioneered a special docking control technology, effectively solving the challenge of automatic discharging of materials with extremely poor liquidity. It innovatively established a three-dimensional logistics system, enabling cross-floor material turnover with the help of the MES system, AGV intelligent handling equipment, and an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). It vigorously promoted the application of energy-saving and low-carbon technologies such as waste heat recovery and reactive power compensation, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1,750 mt annually. This sets a benchmark for "green intelligent manufacturing" in the industry and contributes to the realization of the "dual carbon" goals. The successful operation of this project not only addresses the "chokepoint" issue of high-end cemented carbide materials, achieving localisation substitution of high-performance ultra-fine tungsten carbide powder and ensuring the autonomy and controllability of the entire industry chain of cemented carbide, but also further promotes the transformation and upgrading of China's cemented carbide industry towards high-end, intelligent, and green directions. It supports the high-quality development of China's new materials sector and injects strong momentum into China Tungsten and High Technology Materials Co., Ltd.'s efforts to build a world-class tungsten industry group with global competitiveness.