[SMM Lithium News Flash] On August 8, 2025, an investment cooperation agreement was signed in the Shangrao Chating Economic and Technological Development Zone to establish a full industry chain system for the comprehensive recycling and utilization of retired power batteries. The project will cover recycling, dismantling, testing, repair, and reuse, with a total investment in the hundred-million-yuan range. Once operational, it will process up to 10,000 tons of retired lithium batteries annually, generate an estimated output value of no less than 150 million yuan, and contribute millions in annual tax revenue. This cooperation will not only bring new economic momentum to the local area but also serve as a key driver for regional green and low-carbon development, reflecting both sides’ confidence in the future of the new energy vehicle industry and their strategic alignment with China’s “dual carbon” goals. In recent years, the rapid growth of the domestic new energy vehicle industry has driven soaring demand for power batteries, but the issue of retired battery recycling has become increasingly prominent. Many batteries have entered unregulated channels and been illegally modified into other products, posing serious environmental and safety risks. Meanwhile, the overseas recycling and resource loss risks of retired batteries are also rising, especially after the EU introduced restrictions on the export of recycled black mass from lithium-ion batteries.