[Pret to Invest 500 Million Yuan in Upgrading Large‑Form Advanced Battery Production Line]

Zambian Ministry of Mines is advancing a proposal for a pan-African minerals and metals exchange to give producer nations greater control over mineral trading and pricing. Adviser Jito Kayumba said the plan builds on Zambia's metals-trading tie-up with Mercuria and has already been discussed with the DRC and two undisclosed countries. For lithium, the move aligns with Zimbabwe's SC6 export controls and Mali's Goulamina ramp-up, and could eventually offer an alternative to CIF China spodumene pricing as African-origin volumes grow through ports like Walvis Bay and Beira. DRC's Manono project (targeting 1Mt/y spodumene) would also fall within scope. SMM view: Early-stage and non-binding no confirmed members, governance, or timeline. Relevant to watch for delivered-cost and netback benchmarking on Zimbabwe/Mali/DRC assets, but limited near-term pricing impact.

Power firm Axpo and independent power producer Zelestra have entered into a long-term tolling agreement for a battery energy storage project in northern Italy. This marks Zelestra’s second such tolling deal in July, underscoring the company’s aggressive expansion into the Italian storage market. Tolling structures are becoming increasingly common in European BESS project finance, as they provide offtake certainty while allowing developers to retain merchant upside exposure. Italy’s storage market is accelerating due to the country’s high solar penetration, grid congestion in the south, and regulatory reforms enabling standalone storage participation in energy markets. The Axpo-Zelestra deal adds to the growing pipeline of contracted Italian BESS capacity.

UK-based developer Alcemi has entered the Romanian battery storage market, expanding its Central and Eastern European footprint. Concurrently, Slovakia’s largest battery storage project to date has commenced operations, marking a milestone for a market that has lagged regional peers in storage deployment. The developments reflect a broader trend of Western European storage developers and capital targeting emerging CEE markets, where grid flexibility needs are rising in tandem with renewable buildouts. Romania and Slovakia’s storage markets are benefitting from EU funding mechanisms and national energy security strategies that prioritize domestic flexibility resources. These projects add to the growing evidence that CEE is transitioning from a nascent to an active storage development region