SMM renewable energy industry data

On September 8, Core Lithium announced that its Finniss Lithium Project in Australia’s Northern Territory had produced its first spodumene concentrate from the recommissioned processing plant. The milestone was achieved around six months after the company made the final investment decision (FID) to restart Finniss in March 2026 and was in line with its target for the September quarter. Mining at the Grants open pit resumed in May, followed by the restart of crushing operations in August, while the processing plant is currently undergoing commissioning and optimisation. According to Core Lithium, upgrades to the processing plant are expected to improve mineral liberation and recovery rates while increasing processing capacity by approximately 20% to 1.2 million tonnes per annum. The company continues to target the first shipment of newly produced spodumene concentrate in the fourth quarter of 2026, while development of the BP33 underground mine is also progressing.

BYD said on Sept 8 that AI infrastructure requires large and stable power supply, making PV, energy storage and power stations key businesses, and AI energy solutions will be one of its priorities in the next phase. BYD's 10,000th flash-charging station was completed on Aug 28, setting records among Chinese automakers for the largest self-built charging network, the fastest build-out of 10,000 stations and the widest coverage. BYD plans to build 20,000 flash-charging stations in China by the end of 2026 and 6,000 overseas, expanding its flash-charging technology, products and ecosystem abroad.