[SMM New Energy] Lopal plans to change the capacity of the third-phase LFP project from 62,500 mt/year to 100,000 mt/year.

[SMM Analysis] In H1 2026, global energy storage battery cell shipments reached 486 GWh. The power generation and grid side and industrial and commercial ESS remained the main demand sources. Top-tier players maintained their lead, while some enterprises saw significant improvements in market rankings. Meanwhile, shipments of large battery cells above 500Ah reached approximately 42 GWh, with product upsizing beginning to shift from introduction and verification to volume delivery. However, production ramp-up, manufacturing yield, quality control, and order coordination remain key constraints on volume growth. Looking ahead to H2, the energy storage battery cell market is expected to sustain high growth. The anticipated introduction of consumption tax and cancellation of export tax rebates may pull forward some demand and delivery pace. Industry competition will further shift toward product reliability, manufacturing stability, and sustained delivery capability.

【U.S. Issues Black Mass Export Rule, Restrictions Effective Aug 27】 The U.S. Department of Commerce on August 5 published the Interim Final Rule implementing export restrictions on black mass and tungsten scrap, following President Trump's Executive Order signed on July 30. The rule will take effect on August 27, 2026, and remain in force until August 27, 2027. During this period, exports of the covered materials will be subject to new U.S. export control requirements, with certain exports requiring authorization or meeting specified conditions. The U.S. government said the measure aims to strengthen domestic critical mineral supply and support the country's battery recycling and critical minerals industries.

In July, the sodium-ion battery materials market sustained strong momentum, with both cathode and anode segments showing clear signs of “robust demand, strained capacity.” Orders from downstream battery cell manufacturers continued to surge, particularly as the penetration rate of the polyanion route in energy storage applications accelerated, pushing upstream material enterprises to near-full-capacity operations.