Second-life Battery Market Stable but Divergent, Energy Storage Battery Cell Quotes Edge Up Slightly [SMM Weekly Review]

Published: Jul 30, 2026 17:49

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This week, prices in China’s second-life battery cell market remained generally stable, while quotations for energy storage categories edged up slightly. On the cost side, raw material trends diverged: lithium carbonate moved sideways with weak market stability, cobalt sulphate continued to grind lower, and nickel sulphate edged up. Overall raw material price fluctuations narrowed somewhat this week. Supply-side sentiment shifted, with willingness to sell increasing compared with the previous period, leading to a rise in the volume of goods in circulation. On the demand side, energy storage remained the core force driving the market. At the goods circulation level, it is noteworthy that ternary dismantled products gradually began flowing into the powder-making market, with prices continuing to decline and approaching scrap prices. However, transaction prices for ternary dismantled products were still higher than scrap, and the price spread has not been fully eliminated. Price convergence will still require further market digestion.

SMM, July 30 –

Second-life Application Weekly Overview:

This week, the second-life battery cell market in China remained broadly stable, with energy storage product quotes edging up slightly. On the cost side, raw material trends diverged: lithium carbonate moved sideways, with weak stability; cobalt sulphate continued to grind lower, while nickel sulphate edged up. Overall, raw material fluctuations narrowed this week. Supply-side sentiment shifted, with market willingness to sell increasing compared to the previous period, and the flow of available supplies grew. On the demand side, energy storage remained the core force boosting the market. The supply flow dynamics are noteworthy, as ternary dismantled products gradually began to flow into the crushing market, with prices continuously declining and approaching scrap prices. However, transaction prices for ternary dismantled products still exceeded those for scrap, and the price spread has not yet been fully eliminated. Price convergence will require further market digestion.

SMM New Energy Research Team

Wang Cong 021-51666838

Ma Rui 021-51595780

Feng Disheng 021-51666714

Lu Yanlin 021-20707875

Lei Yue 021-20707873

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

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