[Supply Disruptions Persist, Imported TCs Continued to Decline]: Weekly data showed that the average weekly TC of SMM Zn50 domestic ore was unchanged at 1,550 yuan/mt in metal content, and the SMM imported zinc concentrate index fell $4.13/dmt MoM to $11.25/dmt...

Recently, Donghua Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. (Donghua Technology) released a major contract announcement. On March 5, 2026, in Hefei, Anhui province, the company formally signed an EPC general contracting agreement for Phase I, Stage 1 Green Ammonia Works of the 800,000-mt/year wind and solar power hydrogen-ammonia integration project with Renewable Green Hydrogen Energy (Inner Mongolia) Co., Ltd. (“Renewable Green Hydrogen”), supporting the scaled implementation of Inner Mongolia’s green hydrogen and green ammonia industry. I. Core Project Overview The project signed this time is the first-phase works of the 800,000-mt/year wind and solar power hydrogen-ammonia integration project. The plant’s design capacity is **200,000 mt/year of green ammonia**. The scope of construction covers a complete supporting system including newly built process production units, storage and transportation units, auxiliary facilities, utilities, and front-of-plant living facilities. Relying on wind and solar power renewable energy to produce hydrogen and synthesize green ammonia, it will build a clean, low-carbon chemical industry chain. II. Key Contract Information Contract Value : 2.026 billion yuan (provisional estimate) Schedule Arrangement : The contract duration is approximately 27 months, and the planned mechanical completion date is expected to be June 18, 2028 Scope of Contracting : Donghua Technology is fully responsible for the full-process EPC work, including pre-project consulting, design, procurement, construction and installation, testing and detection, cooperation for completion acceptance, operation support, construction-period insurance, handover, and start-up commissioning guidance. III. Project Entity and Performance Assurance The entity responsible for the project’s construction and operation is Renewable Green Hydrogen Energy (Inner Mongolia) Co., Ltd. Its controlling shareholder is Yijingxing Green Hydrogen Energy Investment (Hainan) Co., Ltd., and the ultimate controlling party is Renewable Green Hydrogen Energy Technology Asia Co., Ltd. Currently, the project has completed the investment project filing with the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the partners have sufficient performance capability, laying a solid foundation for the smooth advancement of the project.

In the fields of precious and rare metals, compared with well-known categories such as gold, silver, and platinum-group metals, osmium has always remained a niche yet highly distinctive presence. With its unmatched physicochemical properties, it has become an indispensable key material in high-end industry and scientific research. Even though it receives limited market attention, it still possesses irreplaceable value. This article will provide a comprehensive breakdown of osmium metal, covering its basic properties, resource supply, application scenarios, and market characteristics, to offer a full understanding of this “king of density.” I. First Encounter with Osmium: A Hardcore Outlier Among the Platinum-Group Metals Osmium, with the chemical symbol Os and atomic number 76, belongs to the platinum-group metals. It is a Group VIII transition metal on the periodic table and also one of the rarest metals found in nature. As one of the six major members of the platinum-group metal family, osmium has no independent ore deposits and is commonly associated with platinum, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium. It can only be recovered through purification during platinum ore smelting and cannot be extracted through standalone large-scale mining. This inherent characteristic directly defines its scarcity. Osmium’s physicochemical properties are truly unique in the world of metals, with highly recognizable core characteristics: first, it has the highest density in the world. Under standard conditions at 20°C, its density reaches 22.59 g/cm³, far exceeding that of gold (19.32 g/cm³) and platinum (21.45 g/cm³). It is currently the densest naturally occurring metal known, and at the same volume, it weighs far more than various conventional precious metals. Second, it demonstrates excellent high-temperature resistance, with a melting point of 3,033°C and a boiling point exceeding 5,000°C. It remains highly stable in high-temperature environments and can adapt to various industrial and scientific applications under extreme heat. Third, it has outstanding hardness and strong corrosion resistance. With a Mohs hardness of 7, it is hard, durable, and wear-resistant, and is difficult to corrode under conventional acidic or alkaline conditions. However, its drawbacks are also quite evident: it is highly brittle and has extremely poor plasticity, making it impossible to process through conventional mechanical methods, so it is mostly used in powder or alloy form. A key safety precaution must be emphasized here: when osmium metal is heated in air to above 100°C, it slowly oxidizes to form osmium tetroxide (OsO₄). This substance is highly irritating, highly volatile, and somewhat toxic. Therefore, the entire process involving osmium, including production smelting, storage and transportation, and deep processing, must be carried out under the protection of inert gas and in strict compliance with operational standards. These exceptionally high compliance and control requirements further raise the barriers to osmium’s production and application. II. Extreme Scarcity: Osmium’s Resource Endowment and Supply Landscape Osmium is far rarer than commonly recognized precious metals such as gold and platinum, and it can be regarded as a “niche treasure” in the precious metals sector. Relevant data show that the average abundance of osmium in the Earth’s crust is only about 0.001 ppm, making it one of the least abundant stable elements in the crust. Globally, identified recoverable reserves are extremely limited, and resource distribution is highly concentrated, without the formation of widely distributed ore deposits. Supply side further highlights the scarcity of osmium. As there are no standalone mines, global osmium production is entirely dependent on platinum mining and smelting, with capacity remaining at an extremely low level for many years. Global annual production is about 1 mt (data from the International Platinum Group Metals Association), while China’s annual production is less than 100 kg, with supply far below that of other platinum group metals. From the global supply landscape, traditional major platinum group metal-producing countries such as South Africa and Russia control the vast majority of the world’s osmium resources and smelting capacity. Industry supply is therefore highly monopolized, with extremely low supply elasticity. Minor changes in mine development progress, geopolitical conditions, environmental protection-related control policies, and platinum group metal smelting capacity all directly affect global osmium supply. This dual attribute of “inherent resource scarcity + constrained supply” has kept the osmium market in a long-term tight supply-demand balance and given it strong price resilience and fluctuation elasticity, securing it a unique position in the rare metals market. III. Exclusive to Cutting-Edge Applications: Core Application Scenarios for Osmium Although osmium has limited production and a relatively narrow application scope, its exceptional physical and chemical properties have enabled it to establish a precise foothold in high-end niche fields, making it an irreplaceable core material in many cutting-edge applications. Downstream demand is concentrated and highly rigid, with no low-cost substitutes currently available. Its core applications are mainly concentrated in four major areas: 1 Special Hard Alloys: Core Raw Materials for High-End Wear-Resistant Components Osmium-based alloys produced by melting osmium with metals such as iridium and platinum combine ultra-high hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance, making them key materials for high-end precision instruments. These alloys are widely used in high-precision bearings for high-end watches and precision instruments, nibs for premium fountain pens, styluses for professional record players, and medical precision scalpels and wear-resistant components for high-end machinery. They can significantly extend service life and durability, making them suitable for long-term, high-load, high-wear operating environments, and they are core wear-resistant materials in high-end manufacturing. 2 Industrial Catalysis: Highly Efficient Specialized Additives for Fine Chemicals Osmium and its compounds have excellent catalytic activity and serve as specialized catalysts in certain fine chemical and organic synthesis reactions. In particular, in special chemical processes such as hydrogenation and oxidation reactions, they offer high catalytic efficiency and strong reaction selectivity, effectively optimizing process flows and improving product purity and yield. Although the unit consumption of osmium catalysts is extremely low, they are a rigid process necessity and are difficult to replace with other common metal catalysts, resulting in relatively stable downstream demand. 3 Scientific Research and Detection: Essential Specialized Consumables for Laboratories Although osmium tetroxide is toxic, it has irreplaceable value in scientific research. It is a high-quality staining agent for biological samples and microscopic material sections under electron microscopes, substantially improving sample clarity and contrast, and is an indispensable laboratory reagent in frontier research fields such as materials science and life sciences. Meanwhile, high-purity osmium powder was also widely used in high-end scientific research experiments and the R&D of specialized new materials, serving as a niche but essential consumable for major research institutes and high-end laboratories. 4. High-End Specialized Fields: Core Components for Military and Aerospace Applications Leveraging its core advantages of high density, high-temperature resistance, and high stability, osmium was also applied in specialized high-temperature components for aerospace and military applications, precision guidance components, as well as niche scenarios such as high-end electrical contacts and wear-resistant coatings. These applications were all concentrated in cutting-edge, high-precision sectors. Although the volume of each individual application was small, the product value-added was extremely high. Moreover, with the technological iteration and development of high-end manufacturing and the military and aerospace industries, related demand had the potential for steady growth. IV. Summary of the Core Characteristics of the Osmium Metal Market Overall, as a rare category among platinum group metals, osmium had highly distinctive core characteristics: extreme scarcity on the resource side, highly monopolized supply with insufficient elasticity; application-side concentration in high-precision, cutting-edge fields, with rigid and irreplaceable demand; and unique physicochemical properties, combining both advantages and application barriers. Unlike the market-driven fluctuation logic of conventional bulk commodities, the osmium market was significantly affected by factors such as supply-side changes, downstream demand from high-end industries, and compliance costs. The overall market size was small, and trading frequency was relatively low, placing it in the category of niche rare precious metals. Its core value always revolved around the two key points of “scarcity” and “irreplaceability,” making it an indispensable key metal material in high-end industrial and scientific research fields.

Recently, Dr. Du from US Plug Power, a globally leading provider of hydrogen energy solutions, and his delegation visited Suzhou Xinsichuang Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. for exchanges. The two sides held in-depth discussions on hydrogen technology R&D, industry ecosystem development, and global market positioning, laying a foundation for subsequent cross-border collaborative cooperation. As a pioneer in the hydrogen fuel cell industry, Plug Power has cultivated the hydrogen energy sector for many years and is committed to building an entire industry chain ecosystem covering green hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and terminal power generation. Its business is extensively deployed across diverse scenarios such as material handling, stationary power supply, and on-road EVs, making it a benchmark enterprise in the development of the global green hydrogen industry. During the field trip, Dr. Du and his delegation visited Xinsichuang’s production workshop and gained a detailed understanding of the company’s hydrogen equipment manufacturing capabilities and latest progress in technology R&D. At present, Xinsichuang is accelerating its transformation from a hydrogen equipment manufacturer into a **comprehensive green electricity and green fuels service provider**. Leveraging its core technological advantages in hydrogen production equipment, the company is making every effort to connect the entire chain of the hydrogen industry from the manufacturing end to the supply end and build differentiated competitive advantages. During the discussion session, General Manager Zeng of Xinsichuang highlighted the company’s project deployment and implementation in Hainan, Indonesia, the Middle East, and other regions, as well as the progress of exporting its hydrogen equipment technologies to Japan, Singapore, Europe, and other countries and regions. Dr. Du expressed strong interest in Xinsichuang’s strategic transformation direction and pace of global expansion. The two sides conducted thorough exchanges on topics including collaborative technological innovation and jointly building a global hydrogen energy ecosystem, and reached multiple cooperation consensuses. As the global energy transition continues to accelerate, the hydrogen energy industry has moved from the technology validation stage into a window period for large-scale application. Xinsichuang stated that in the future, it will continue to uphold an open and cooperative philosophy, deepen exchanges and collaboration with leading global hydrogen energy enterprises, steadily advance project implementation in China and overseas, bring high-quality green energy solutions to broader markets, and contribute to the high-quality development of the global hydrogen energy industry.

[Weak Spot Demand During the Week, Wider Spot Discounts]: This week, spot discounts in Ningbo widened, with the weekly average price down 20 yuan/mt WoW. As of Friday this week, spot prices in Ningbo against the 2604 contract were at a discount of 100 yuan/mt and at a premium of 20 yuan/mt against Shanghai, with the premium against Shanghai fluctuating during the week..

This article explains the 2026 revision of Vietnam's Mineral Law, including adjustments to mineral classification, optimization of mining permit rules, and enhancements to mineral control. These changes may have a significant impact on mining enterprises, particularly those involved in metallic mining activities in Vietnam, possibly affecting areas such as business operations, policy and tax compliance, upstream mining, and open new opportunities in mineral recycling business.

[Operating Rates Continued to Rise This Week, but Order Demand Had Not Fully Started] The rise in operating rates this week was mainly driven by enterprises gradually resuming operations and production. On the order side, orders at top-tier enterprises generally remained stable, but overall industry demand had not yet fully recovered. Affected by the relatively late Chinese New Year break, current end-use demand in rubber, desulfurization, and other sectors still had not fully started, while performance in the ceramics sector was also relatively weak, and it would still take time for demand to see a substantive improvement......

Capacity side, according to incomplete statistics, China’s alkaline electrolyzer market remained at 43.77 GW and the PEM electrolyzer market remained at 2.7 GW, with no new capacity added. No offline delivery information was available this week. Project-related developments: Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Technology Equipment Co., Ltd.: Its indirectly wholly owned subsidiary, Xinjiang Guofu Mingzhi Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., entered into a sales agreement with independent third party Hefei Zhongke Hecheng Green Energy Co., Ltd. for hydrogen production equipment for a green fuel base demonstration project featuring 20,000 mt of green electricity-based hydrogen production and flexible synthetic ammonia. The total contract value exceeded 55 million yuan. Under the agreement, Guofu Mingzhi will supply the client with six sets of 1,000 Nm³/hour alkaline electrolyzers and auxiliary equipment, such as rectifier transformers, rectifier cabinets, and separation and purification equipment. Xizang Zangqing Energy Equipment Co., Ltd.: A tender announcement was officially issued for the EPC project covering design and construction of Phase I of the zero-carbon intelligent equipment base for the new energy industry of green hydrogen and green methanol in the Zangqing Industrial Park. It is understood that the project mainly includes: an annual output of 100 sets of 1,500 Nm³-2,000 Nm³ alkaline electrolyzers; a 500 MW/year production line for plateau-type PEM electrolyzers; a standardized production line for a 40,000 t/d methanol synthesis unit and components; an annual output of 120 sets of 500 kW integrated hydrogen-oxygen heat and power co-generation units; and an annual output of 50 sets of 500 kg/day skid-mounted integrated methanol hydrogen refueling station equipment. Renewable Green Hydrogen Energy (Inner Mongolia) Co., Ltd.: An announcement was issued on the signing of the EPC general contract for the Phase I, Stage I green ammonia project of the integrated 800,000 mt/year wind and solar power-hydrogen-ammonia project with Donghua Technology. It is understood that the contract was signed by both parties on March 5, with a contract value of 2.026 billion yuan (provisional estimate), and the construction period (mechanical completion) will run until June 18, 2028. Donghua Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. will mainly undertake the design, procurement, construction, operation assurance services, and guidance for startup and commissioning of the EPC project. Tangshan Haitai New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : During the visit by the deputy secretary of the Abaqa Banner Committee in Inner Mongolia, the two sides further deepened cooperation on the 10 GW integrated wind and solar power-to-hydrogen project, working together to advance the project’s early commencement and commissioning. Maoming Binhai New Area Urban Investment Development Co., Ltd.: A public notice was issued on the shortlisted candidates for the construction of Phase I of the supporting road network project for the Green Chemical and Hydrogen Energy Industrial Park in Maoming Binhai New Area. The first shortlisted candidate was CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 98.210593 million yuan; the second shortlisted candidate was Hebei Xiangda Road & Bridge Engineering Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 98.23076 million yuan; and the third shortlisted candidate was Jiangxi Sitong Road & Bridge Construction Group Co., Ltd., with a bid price of 98.008929 million yuan. Fujian Tianchen Yaolong New Materials Co., Ltd.: A tender announcement was issued for the equipment procurement project for the hydrogen purification unit of the cyclohexanone technology upgrade and renovation project. It is understood that the project plans to procure one set of hydrogen purification unit equipment, with a maximum bid price of 7 million yuan. Inner Mongolia Juliyong Hydrogen New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: Its new-type high-density, low-pressure solid-state hydrogen energy power R&D and industrialisation project was filed. The project will be constructed in Ordos City—Ordos Airport Logistics Park—Phase II, First Floor, Standardised Factory Buildings, Ordos Comprehensive Bonded Zone, Ejin Horo Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. The project is expected to be built in two phases, with a total investment of approximately 120 million yuan. It requires 10 million yuan in policy support funding, with Phase I investment of 40 million yuan and Phase II investment of 80 million yuan. The construction period is three years, and after completion, the project is expected to generate annual profit of 30 million yuan. Policy Review 1. At the press conference held during the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, Zheng Shanjie, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that China would focus on developing the “six emerging pillar industries” and the “six future industries.” Among them, “green hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion energy” were included in the category of future industries. 2. The People's Government of Shandong Province issued the Implementation Plan on Supporting Jining in Accelerating Green and Low-Carbon Transformation and Building New Advantages in High-Quality Development. The document proposed supporting Jining in fostering and developing emerging industries and future industries such as hydrogen energy production, storage, and transportation, and supporting the construction of future industry acceleration parks; advancing R&D breakthroughs in key technologies such as hydrogen fuel cell vessels, building a leading inland new energy vessel manufacturing base in China; and supporting technological innovation and the promotion and application in fields such as hydrogen energy. 3. With the approval of the National Energy Administration, the Standardisation Technical Committee for the Hydrogen Energy Sector of the Energy Industry was established in Beijing. The establishment of the committee aims to improve the industry standard system, lead technological innovation, and regulate market order. Enterprise Updates Qinghang Times (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. : Qinghang Times was established on January 5, 2026, with a registered capital of 1 million yuan and legal representative He Rongjie. It was founded by a Tsinghua University master's and doctoral team, received support from Tsinghua innovation and entrepreneurship platforms such as Tsinghua i-Space and Tsinghua Chuang+, and was selected for the Sci-Tech Innovation Light “Future Sci-Tech Entrepreneur Program.” Through its technical solution combining liquid hydrogen storage and a high-temperature PEM hydrogen-electric coupling system, it increased aircraft driving range by more than 10 times and payload by 2–3 times. Recently, it completed seed-round financing worth several million yuan, with the investor undisclosed. Shenzhen Hydrogen Energy Co., Ltd.: Completed A+ round financing, with Shenzhen Energy Investment as the investor. Anhui Shuishui New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : Anhui Shuishui Technology completed an A-round financing of over 100 million yuan, led by NIO Capital. This round of funding will be primarily used to fulfill large orders, increase R&D reserves, construct new factories, and support daily operations, in order to drive the integration and upgrading of the industry chain. SPIC Green Energy Co., Ltd.: held talks with Beijing Energy International Holding Co., Ltd., with both sides focusing on areas such as the construction of green electricity transmission channels into Beijing and pipeline transportation of green hydrogen, and conducting in-depth exchanges on deepening cooperation. Beijing Hydrosys Technology Co., Ltd. : helped successfully complete hydrogen refueling at Yunnan’s first integrated “PV–green electricity–hydrogen” refueling station. China Classification Society ​​​​​​​: supported the successful completion of the 16,136 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship project. China Classification Society​​​​​​​​​​​​​​: the “COSCO 9802,” a single methanol-powered chemical tanker for which it carried out drawing approval and construction inspection, was successfully delivered. ​​Patent Applications​​ 1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences​​ (China) disclosed patent CN2025110028, developing a ceramic-based anion exchange membrane with a laboratory-tested lifespan of 80,000 hours. ​​2. Johnson Matthey​​ (UK) filed patent WO2025109876, disclosing a Fe-Ni-Mo ternary non-precious metal catalyst formulation with activity close to platinum-based materials. Technology Footprint/Technical Specifications​​ 1. A team from Xi’an Jiaotong University and Peking University jointly developed a new-type osmium-based catalyst, significantly improving the efficiency and economics of hydrogen production from AEM water electrolysis and supporting the large-scale deployment of low-cost green hydrogen. 2. Johnson Matthey and Syensqo achieved efficient recycling and reuse of platinum group metals and ionomers in PEM fuel cells and electrolyzers, substantially reducing the carbon footprint. 3.​​Research teams from the School of Electrical Engineering of Xi’an Jiaotong University and the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Materials and Electrical Insulation successfully developed the Ru/Ti3C2Ox@NF bifunctional electrocatalyst for seawater electrolysis. 4. The group standard Technical Specification for Wind and Solar Power, PV+ESS, and Green Electricity Coupled Electrolysis Hydrogen Production (No. T/CIEP 0272—2025) was released and implemented by the China Industrial Environmental Protection Promotion Association. Zhongneng Dayou Energy Technology Co., Ltd. successfully developed a 100 kW-class PEM electrolyzer hydrogen production multi-field coupling test device. 5. GKN Powder Metallurgy announced that it had developed a next-generation high performance, high-porosity, high-purity porous transport layer (HP-PTL) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis.

[SMM Stainless Steel Daily Review] SS Futures Struggled to Break Out of Rangebound Trading, Spot Market Held Prices Steady While Actively Shipping SMM News, March 13: SS futures remained in the doldrums. However, after opening higher in the night session, SS fluctuated downward, with the pace of pullback accelerating further in the afternoon, and closed at 14,190 yuan/mt. In the spot market, affected by fluctuations in futures, quotations were largely stable, with limited changes during the week. Although the recovery in downstream demand and cargo pick-up of previous orders provided support, and stainless steel social inventory stopped rising and pulled back this week, market expectations remained mediocre, with merchants mainly holding prices steady while actively making shipments. The most-traded SS futures contract fluctuated stronger. As of 10:15 a.m., SS2605 stood at 14,275 yuan/mt, down 15 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Spot premiums for 304/2B in Wuxi were in the range of 245-445 yuan/mt. In the spot market, cold-rolled 201/2B coils in Wuxi were all basically stable; for cold-rolled trimmed 304/2B coils, the average prices in both Wuxi and Foshan were basically stable; cold-rolled 316L/2B coils in Wuxi were basically stable; hot-rolled 316L/NO.1 coils were quoted basically stable in Wuxi; and cold-rolled 430/2B coils in both Wuxi and Foshan were basically stable. Entering the traditional peak consumption season of “Golden March and Silver April,” the stainless steel market ushered in a window for demand recovery, with downstream end-users gradually recovering and inquiry and purchase activity having picked up notably recently. However, stainless steel spot prices overall remained basically stable, with no obvious fluctuations. End-user procurement mainly followed rigid demand, and a full-scale peak-season boom had yet to emerge, while wait-and-see sentiment still lingered in the market. On the futures side, affected by Yi...

Mar 2026 , Hong Kong’s shipping industry reached a pivotal moment in its green transition: Sinopec CNOOC Fuel Supply, a subsidiary of COSCO SHIPPING Group, together with Sinopec Hong Kong and CMG RoRo, successfully completed Hong Kong’s first green methanol bunkering operation , while also setting a national first record for green methanol bunkering at anchorage , marking Hong Kong’s official entry into a new stage of bunkering green alternative marine fuels. The operation was carried out throughout by the “Daqing 268” vessel , independently operated by Sinopec CNOOC Fuel Supply. The vessel was China’s first methanol dual-fuel powered bunkering ship for both oil products and chemicals, featuring advanced technical performance and independently controllable core equipment. Its propulsion system achieved 100% localisation and adopted a dual-fuel drive mode using methanol and conventional fuels. The vessel is 109.9 meters in length, has a deadweight of 7,500 mt, and a total tank capacity of 10,362 m³. It can transport and bunker multiple clean energy products, including methanol, biodiesel, and fuel oil, meeting the needs of multiple batches and multiple bunkering standards. It is also legally qualified to operate on Hong Kong and Macao routes, making it a critical link in green shipping services connecting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The successful completion of the first bunkering operation through the coordination of multiple central state-owned enterprises fully demonstrated their collaborative strength in the field of green shipping. It not only aligned with the Hong Kong SAR Government’s green shipping plans, but also laid a solid foundation for the future normalised development of green methanol bunkering business between mainland China and Hong Kong and Macao.