[SMM Weekly Review] Second-Life Application B-Grade Prices Remained Stable, Energy Storage A-Grade Continued to Strengthen, 2026.04.06-2026.4.09

Published: Apr 9, 2026 15:47

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This week, the market prices for cascade-use B-grade battery cells remained generally stable. Cost side, lithium carbonate prices continued their downward trend, nickel sulphate prices edged down slightly, and only cobalt sulphate prices held firm, with overall cost support weakening. Supply side, battery cell manufacturers maintained a steady shipments pace with no significant increase, and market supply remained relatively stable. Demand side, energy storage continued to be the core market driver, but as procurement standards kept rising, B-grade battery cells, constrained by quality compliance limitations, struggled to enter the mainstream demand market, with A-grade battery cells becoming the absolute procurement preference. Among them, standard energy storage high-demand models such as 314Ah and 280Ah saw tight supply and intense competition for goods, with prices continuing to be pushed higher, while B-grade battery cells, affected by limited compliance space, maintained largely stable prices with no notable fluctuations.

SMM April 9 update:

Second-life application market this week:

This week, the market prices of second-life Grade B battery cells remained generally stable. Cost side, lithium carbonate prices continued to decline, nickel sulphate prices edged down slightly, and only cobalt sulphate prices held firm, with overall cost support weakening. Supply side, battery cell manufacturers maintained a steady shipments pace with no significant increase, and market supply remained relatively stable. Demand side, energy storage remained the core market driver, but as procurement standards continued to rise, Grade B battery cells, constrained by quality compliance limitations, struggled to enter the mainstream demand market, with Grade A battery cells becoming the dominant procurement choice. Among them, standard energy storage models in high demand such as 314Ah and 280Ah saw tight supply and intense competition for goods, with prices continuing to be pushed higher, while Grade B battery cell prices remained largely stable with no notable fluctuations due to limited compliance space.

SMM New Energy Research Team

Wang Cong 021-51666838

Ma Rui 021-51595780

Feng Disheng 021-51666714

Lv 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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