Cobalt Intermediate Product Imports Dropped Sharply in October, but Likely to Pick Up Slightly in November-December

Due to the ongoing tight fuel supply in Cuba, Sherritt International Corp. plans to suspend mining and processing operations at its nickel-cobalt joint venture in Moa. The company has already scaled back activities and expects to enter a temporary shutdown in the near term, using the downtime to carry out scheduled maintenance. The immediate cause of the suspension is the failure of planned fuel deliveries to materialize. Sherritt is engaging with relevant parties and evaluating alternative sources of key inputs. The project is operated in partnership with General Nickel Company SA, and its semi-processed materials are typically shipped to a refinery in Alberta, Canada, which has a combined capacity of about 38,200 tonnes.

Italian electrochemistry and sustainable technology company Industrie De Nora S.p.A., through its subsidiary De Nora Permelec Ltd., has signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding with U.S. clean-energy materials company Tuleva Inc. to supply a high-capacity electrolysis system for Tuleva’s planned lithium hydroxide monohydrate refining project in the United States. Under the agreement, De Nora will deliver two ion-exchange membrane bipolar electrolysis systems (CECHLO 2C 843L), supporting an annual production capacity of approximately 11,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate. The system contract is valued at over €10 million, and delivery is expected to be completed within 15 months after the final agreement is executed.

On February 5, the AC system of the Baota Mountain Converter Station, the sending - end station of the ±800 kV North Shaanxi - Anhui UHV DC power transmission project, was successfully energized for the first time. This marks that the AC system of the converter station has entered the startup commissioning stage, and the entire AC system of the project is expected to be put into operation before the Spring Festival. It is reported that the rated voltage of the North Shaanxi - Anhui UHV project is ±800 kV, with a rated capacity of 8 million kilowatts, and a dynamic investment of 20.5 billion yuan. The project starts from the Baota Mountain Converter Station in Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province, and ends at the Hezhou Converter Station in Hefei City, Anhui Province. It passes through three provi