COSMO Advanced Materials announced on the 23rd that it signed a strategic partnership agreement (SPA) with Battery Solution on March 3 for the development and commercialization of next-generation cathode materials.

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.

Mar 23 - The China Development Forum 2026 opened in Beijing yesterday. Wan Jinsong, Deputy Director of the NEA, stated that during the "15th Five-Year Plan", China will actively promote diverse clean energy sources, including wind, photovoltaics (PV), nuclear, and biomass, building a resilient new energy system with multi-energy complementarity. China will also drive the deep integration of energy and digital revolutions. Furthermore, China will uphold an open and cooperative attitude to jointly maintain the stability of the global new energy supply chain, establish a transparent and non-discriminatory international energy market, and facilitate the global free flow of new energy products, technologies, and services.

In 2026, the European Critical Raw Materials Centre (ECRMC) will be officially launched. This initiative is one of the solutions to accelerate the development of an independent supply chain, preventing the situation of “a single country supplying more than 65% of demand”. The center will have three main functions: monitoring and assessing the raw materials demand of member countries, conducting joint procurement on behalf of members, and stockpiling and delivering inventory when necessary. ECRMC, as some have commented as a “Tinder for metals,” will work with stakeholders to design a minimum pricing mechanism and framework. The first joint purchasing activity will begin in March 2026 through a platform that connects suppliers and purchasers.

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.

Regarding the question of “how many cabinets the company is expected to launch this year,” Sinnet stated on the interactive platform on March 23 that, as of now, the company had put into operation more than 82,000 cabinets, with a rack utilization rate of approximately 60%. In 2026, the company will continue to advance the construction of its data centers under development in an orderly manner, ensure the on-schedule delivery of orders on hand, and further improve the rack utilization rate of the cabinets already put into operation.

Recently, Haier Smart Home, leveraging its deep expertise in artificial intelligence technology and smart home strategy, was successfully approved to take the lead in the Shandong Province “Strategic Key Project for the Standardization of Key AI Multimodal Interaction Technologies for Smart Home Appliances,” becoming the only leading enterprise in the industry in Shandong Province. This represents Shandong Province’s strong recognition of the enterprise’s technological innovation capabilities and is also an important practical step in Haier Smart Home’s development of a platform-based, service-oriented technology ecosystem enterprise: through the standardization of AI technologies for smart home appliances, it will help drive the coordinated upgrading of smart home appliance technologies across the industry.

On the morning of March 10, the unveiling ceremony and construction launch meeting for the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Efficient Green Fuel Synthesis Systems Engineering (Preparatory) were successfully held at Shanghai Boiler Works Co., Ltd. Xuan Fuzhen, President of East China University of Science and Technology, and Wu Lei, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai Electric Group, jointly unveiled the laboratory, marking the official entry of the key laboratory’s development into a new stage of substantive progress. Zheng Guanghong, Second-Level Inspector of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, witnessed the ceremony on site. Led by Shanghai Boiler Works Co., Ltd. and jointly established with East China University of Science and Technology, the laboratory focuses on tackling critical “bottleneck” technological challenges in the application field of efficient synthesis of green fuels such as green methanol, green ammonia, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). It has precisely laid out three core research directions: efficient synthesis of diversified green fuels, high-efficiency clean power equipment, and AI + digital twin flexible regulation and control. It is committed to building a full-chain innovation system spanning basic R&D, pilot-scale verification, and industrialisation, thereby supporting breakthroughs in green fuel technologies and their industrial application. Wu Lei, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai Electric Group, stated at the event that the high-standard development of the key laboratory for green fuels is an important practice for Shanghai Electric in implementing the national development strategy for new quality productive forces in the energy sector and promoting the deep integration of green fuel technological innovation with industry. Shanghai Electric will use the laboratory’s development as an important lever, providing comprehensive support in policy, resources, funding, and other aspects, fully integrating high-quality internal and external resources, and making every effort to advance technological research, professional talent cultivation, and the commercialisation of scientific research achievements, thereby contributing wisdom and strength to the high-quality development of China’s green fuel industry. Xuan Fuzhen, President of East China University of Science and Technology, pointed out that the university will give full play to its disciplinary strengths, carry out close and pragmatic cooperation with Shanghai Electric, vigorously promote the deep integration of industry, academia, and research, focus on core challenges in green fuel synthesis technologies and equipment, strive to achieve major technological breakthroughs, and work together to build a benchmark for collaborative innovation among industry, academia, and research. Jin Xiaolong, Member of the Party Committee and Vice President of Shanghai Electric Group, Vice President Qiu Jiayou, and relevant leaders from the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, East China University of Science and Technology, and Shanghai Electric Power Station Group attended the event.

[SMM Tin Brief Commentary: SHFE Tin Stopped Falling and Rebounded, Closing Up 2.94% as Macro Pressure and Bottom Support Vied Against Each Other]

Recently, China's first water-based organic flow battery distributed energy storage project was officially put into operation in Suqian Economic Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, with a parallel project simultaneously launched in Chuzhou, Anhui Province. The core of this project utilizes water-based organic flow battery technology, where energy is stored in a liquid electrolyte and charging/discharging is achieved through the circulating flow of the electrolyte. By replacing traditional strong acid electrolytes with a neutral aqueous solution, it offers outstanding advantages in intrinsic safety and environmental friendliness.