[SMM Flash] Zimbabwe's Goromonzi Sulfate Plant Confirmed Fully Operational

[Solid-State Batteries: China Electronics Standardization Institute, JD.com, and Sunwoda Sign Agreement to Establish a Joint Laboratory for Robot Batteries] On August 7, 2026, the China Electronics Standardization Institute, JD.com, and Sunwoda signed a tripartite cooperation agreement in Beijing to establish a joint laboratory for robot batteries. The three parties will focus on standard development, product development, testing and verification, and typical applications for robot batteries. The China Electronics Standardization Institute led the drafting of China’s only existing robotic battery standard to date; JD.com leverages its logistics scenarios to provide large-scale application and iterative real-world testing; and Sunwoda will be responsible for customized battery cell development and mass production. The laboratory will target high-frequency fast charging and high C-rate discharge scenarios for warehouse logistics AGVs, humanoid robots, and other applications, conducting R&D on specialized power batteries. Following the signing ceremony, a discussion meeting on two robotic battery standards was held, attended by over 60 experts.

[SMM Analysis: WELION IPO Process Valued at 20 Billion – How Are Solid-State Battery Enterprises Racing to the Capital Market in 2026?] In August 2026, WELION New Energy was valued at 20 billion yuan. In 2026, solid-state batteries became a capital hotspot, with WELION New Energy (valued at 20 billion yuan), Qingtao Energy (27.9 billion yuan), ProLogium Technology ($3.8 billion), and others collectively sprinting toward IPOs, vying for the “first stock.” Meanwhile, the market capitalizations of globally listed enterprises diverged significantly (QS at about $3.3 billion, SLDP at only $465 million). A gap remains between technological breakthroughs and commercialization—Qingtao’s gross margin fell to -111.6%, and the industry urgently needs to overcome cost and process bottlenecks. The real decisive battle may come after 2030.

[SMM Daily Commentary: Spot Lithium Carbonate Price Continues Rising on August 10] Today, the SMM battery-grade lithium carbonate spot price continued to climb from the previous working day. The lithium carbonate 2609 contract opened higher at 140,500 yuan/mt today, with bulls quickly stepping in after the opening and pushing the price rapidly above 144,000 yuan/mt. During the morning session, the price fluctuated on the strong side within the range of 144,000–146,000 yuan/mt, with the center holding high despite some pullbacks. Around midday, the price pulled back slightly to near 143,500 yuan/mt and consolidated. In the afternoon, bulls exerted strength again, sending the price climbing amid consolidation to an intraday high. It closed near 146,400 yuan/mt at the end of the session, ultimately ending up 2.87% at 146,400 yuan/mt, with open interest decreasing by 19,531 lots. In the spot market, supply side, lithium chemical plant maintenance was concentrated from July to August, with plants having maintenance plans prioritizing long-term contract shipments, leaving spot order shipments limited. Today, although some lithium chemical plants’ willingness to hold prices firm softened slightly, the shipment scale remained limited. Demand side, some downstream companies shifted to spot order restocking due to reduced long-term contract volumes, with purchases below 140,000 yuan/mt increasing significantly. However, as prices consolidated and rose today, downstream willingness to chase higher prices was insufficient, and purchases remained mainly based on rigid demand. Overall, inquiries were active but actual transactions were relatively sluggish.