AI becoming a new variable reshaping the international energy landscape

[SMM Daily Review: February 27 Spot Lithium Carbonate Prices Edged Down] Today, SMM lithium carbonate prices edged down slightly compared with the previous working day. On the futures side, the most-traded contract dipped below 170,000 yuan/mt after opening, then rebounded to around 173,000 yuan/mt and fluctuated rangebound. In the afternoon session, prices edged up and hovered around 176,000 yuan/mt until the close, with open interest increasing by about 6,400 lots from the previous trading day. In terms of actual transactions, offers from upstream lithium chemical plants remained firm, while willingness to sell spot orders weakened compared with the previous day. Downstream material plants showed some recovery in purchase willingness when prices were at relatively low levels, but most remained cautious and adopted a wait-and-see stance. Overall, market inquiries and transactions remained sluggish.

On February 27, news emerged that during the Spring Festival holiday, both the electricity consumption for new energy vehicle travel and the number of trips in Henan Province reached record highs. According to data provided by the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, during the period from February 15 to 23, public charging stations across the province recorded a total of 3.689 million charging sessions, a year-on-year increase of 30.85%. The total charging volume reached 110.105 million kWh, a year-on-year increase of 40.90%, indicating the sustained growth in demand for green travel.

Tianli Lithium Energy issued an announcement on February 26, stating that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sichuan Tianli Lithium Energy Co., Ltd., has completed the scheduled production line maintenance plan and fully resumed production operations on February 24, ahead of the originally planned date of February 28. It is understood that the production suspension for maintenance at Sichuan Tianli began on January 14, 2026, with the core objective of ensuring the efficient, stable, and safe operation of the lithium iron phosphate production line, thereby guaranteeing the smooth progress of subsequent safe production. During the maintenance period, Sichuan Tianli conducted a comprehensive inspection and upkeep of the production line, simultaneously carrying out upgrades and renovations.