FAW Jiefang Expects H1 Net Profit to Surge 1,274%-1,528% YoY for Parent Company Owners

Mali says it could leverage revenues from its 2023 mining sector reforms to raise up to 500 billion CFA francs (approximately $883.1 million) for energy, water, and transport infrastructure projects, according to the country's finance minister. The move marks the first clear signal of how Mali's government plans to channel windfall mining revenue into infrastructure financing, following a 2023 mining code overhaul that raised royalties and increased state stakes in mining projects reforms that have sparked disputes with international operators. A government audit reported in December recovered 761 billion CFA francs in alleged arrears from mining companies. Finance Minister Alousseni Sanou said Mali's Energy, Water and Transport Infrastructure Development Fund, created in 2023 and funded exclusively by mining permit holder contributions, had mobilized 109.14 billion CFA francs between January 2025 and June 2026. The fund draws 1% of quarterly turnover and 10% of ad valorem taxes during a mine's first five years, rising to 2% thereafter, generating at least 50 billion CFA francs annually a base Sanou said could be leveraged into significantly larger financing. Infrastructure and Transport Minister Dembele Madina Sissoko said proposed projects include railway development, road construction, boat acquisitions, and initiatives tied to state-owned Mali Airlines. SMM View: Mali's approach reflects a broader shift among African resource producers seeking greater domestic value from mining revenues echoing Ghana's use of mineral income to fund its "Big Push" infrastructure programme. As mining linked capital increasingly funds public infrastructure, it could reshape investment conditions and state-operator dynamics across West Africa's critical minerals sector.

On August 5th, The African Development Bank Group has approved a €100 million loan to Gotion Power Morocco to finance an integrated cathode-to-cell lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery gigafactory in the Rabat-Salé Kénitra Free Trade Zone. AfDB plans to mobilize up to an additional €141 million from financial partners, acting as Mandated Lead Arranger under the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD). The project is led by Gotion High-Tech, a Hefei-headquartered, Shenzhen-listed battery manufacturer, and will mark the first integrated battery manufacturing plant in Africa and the MENA region. Phase 1 targets 10 GWh of battery cell and pack production for EVs, with capacity plans to scale up to 100 GWh. The facility is expected to create over 600 direct jobs and reach a 70% local industrial integration rate. AfDB's Kevin Kariuki called battery storage the missing link in Africa's clean energy transition, noting the renewable-powered facility will support large-scale solar and wind integration while building green industrial jobs. AfDB's Morocco country manager Achraf Tarsim said the gigafactory will strengthen Morocco's industrial competitiveness and support local beneficiation of critical minerals used in the energy transition. SMM View: The project signals growing downstream investment in Africa's battery value chain, moving beyond raw mineral extraction toward integrated cathode-to-cell manufacturing. As Morocco positions itself as a mobility and green-tech hub, this development adds to a broader continental trend of localizing value-add stages of the lithium supply chain a shift that could reshape where and how African critical minerals are processed in the years ahead

On August 4, news emerged that the signing ceremony for the cooperation project between BTR Group and Wuchuang Recycling was held in Ningxiang City, Hunan Province. This collaboration, leveraging BTR Group's technological and channel advantages in the anode material field and Wuchuang Recycling's supporting infrastructure in the waste lithium battery recycling industry, will further complement the downstream material segment of Ningxiang's power battery recycling industry chain. This will enhance industrial synergies and inject new momentum into the development of the green economy.