China Jan-May Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Investment Rises 24.9%

Recently, the pre-approval public notice for the environmental impact report of the Kaiyang "Phosphorus-Titanium-Iron-Lithium" Coupling Cyclic Integration Project's annual 150,000-ton battery-grade lithium carbonate project (Phase I: 30,000 tons) has been released. The project is located in Kaiyang County, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, with an estimated total investment of 881.67 million yuan, including an environmental protection investment of 40 million yuan. The planned construction period is 18 months. The project will establish a 30,000-ton-per-year battery-grade lithium carbonate production line, with an annual by-product of 84,960 tons of anhydrous sodium sulfate.

【Phosphorus Chemicals: Wengfu Raises Wet-Process 85% Phosphoric Acid Price by RMB 500 to RMB 12,100/ton】 On June 15, 2026, according to SMM, Wengfu increased its ex-factory price for wet-process 85% phosphoric acid by RMB 500 to RMB 12,100/ton. Driven by sharp fluctuations in sulfur prices, this hike is intended to ease tight supply pressures and curb downstream demand. A total of 800,000 tonnes of capacity at the Dazhou and Shanghang bases remain offline. Outlook: Significant geopolitical influences are expected to keep prices volatile in the short term. The rise in phosphoric acid prices further pushes up production costs for iron phosphate and lithium iron phosphate (LFP).

According to industry sources on June 15, Sebang Lithium Battery will establish a local subsidiary in Ohio, the United States, and handle production of grid-scale ESS battery modules for LG Energy Solution. The order is valued at KRW 1.8 trillion, with revenue expected to begin from the fourth quarter of this year.