Canada-based NEO Performance Materials has commissioned a small-scale heavy rare earth element (HREE) production line at its Silmet facility in Estonia.

The solvent extraction line is operating at nameplate capacity and the company is now focusing on delivering stable product purity before transitioning to routine production capacity.

The facility has produced its first separated terbium and dysprosium process solutions, which are precursor products for metal making, from mixed rare earth carbonate feedstock. The processing was completed entirely in Europe. This validates the technical robustness and operational reliability of the Silmet solvent extraction line under continuous operating conditions, a step towards establishing advanced heavy rare earth separation capability in Europe, NEO noted.

Dysprosium and terbium are essential inputs for high-performance sintered rare earth permanent magnets used in robotics, EV traction motors, wind turbines and industrial automation applications.

Developing separation capability at Silmet is part of NEO’s strategy to develop a secure, Europe-based supply chain to support its growing magnet manufacturing operations and supply chain diversification.

NEO’s permanent magnet facility in Estonia is advancing through customer qualification and is expected to ramp up commercial production later this year.

“The successful launch of our heavy rare earth separation in Estonia represents a critical step in NEO’s strategy to build the most vertically integrated rare earth magnetics value chain in Europe,” said Rahim Suleman, President and CEO of NEO.

“Our rare earth value chain now spans both light and heavy rare earth processing, enabling the separation and finishing of select elements into value-added, engineered end-use applications. This achievement enables NEO to provide secure, traceable, and high-quality heavy rare earth materials to our European permanent magnet facility, supporting our customers’ most demanding applications,” Suleman added.

Source: NEO Performance Materials

ITECH has released the IT8100A/E Series DC electronic loads, a high-power test platform targeting EV charging station validation, power battery testing, fuel cell testing and AI power supply evaluation. The series scales from single units to parallel systems reaching 1.8 MW.

Power density is 7.2 kW per 3U rack unit, scaling to 86.4 kW in a 37U cabinet. The dynamic slew rate is 150 A/μs, designed to reproduce rapid current transients in switching power supplies, charging systems and fuel cells. A 1.5× short-term over-power capability handles peak load conditions without requiring an oversized test configuration. A dedicated high-current variant — 60 V / 2400 A / 6 kW — targets next-generation AI GPU and computing power supply testing where supply voltages are low and currents are high.

The series spans four voltage levels: 60 V, 150 V, 600 V and 1200 V. The 1200 V ceiling covers testing for 800 V EV charging architectures, where DC link voltages at the load can exceed standard 400 V infrastructure levels. Three product families—IT8100A Series, IT8100E Series and the dedicated high-current load—support flexible parallel configurations from benchtop scale to MW-class platforms.

The IT8100A/E Series is available now.

Source: ITECH

6K Energy and CRG Defense have entered a seven-year agreement to establish a domestic supply chain for cathode active materials (CAM) powering defense battery systems. Under the deal, CRG Defense will source single crystal NMC811 from 6K Energy’s North Andover, Massachusetts facility, with additional capacity coming online in late 2026.

When 6K Energy’s PlusCAM™ facility in Jackson, Tennessee comes online in early 2028, it will become the primary production source. The Jackson facility uses 6K Energy’s proprietary UniMelt platform—a microwave plasma-based process for manufacturing advanced materials—to produce NMC811 and other high-nickel cathode chemistries. The agreement includes a Quarterly Purchase Plan to maintain consistent supply for CRG Defense’s programs.

The timing is tied directly to federal mandates. The FCC’s December 2025 ban on foreign-produced UAS critical components and Section 842 of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act—which prohibits the Department of Defense from procuring batteries from foreign entities of concern—have created urgent demand for compliant domestic supply chains. CRG Defense manufactures battery cells and packs at U.S. facilities for drone platforms and other defense applications.

“Rebuilding a resilient U.S. battery supply chain requires both early commitment and long-term partnerships,” said Saurabh Ullal, President of 6K Energy. “Our PlusCAM facility is designed to deliver sustainable, battery-cathode material at scale for the most demanding defense applications.” Patrick Hood, CEO of CRG Defense, said the deal means drone platforms “will now be powered by technology that is truly American made from the chemistry up.”

Source: 6K Energy

Morrow Batteries has started delivering lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells to Finnish technology company Proventia, as Morrow ramps up production for industrial customers at its battery cell factory in Arendal, Norway.

Morrow is making the deliveries under a long-term agreement to supply prismatic LFP cells for Proventia’s battery modules and packs used in off-highway and industrial applications. The agreement runs through 2031 and allows for the future inclusion of additional cell chemistries as they become commercially available.

Proventia expects to begin its first customer deliveries of batteries using Morrow’s cells in the first half of this year. Morrow will continue to increase its production capacity In the coming months, and further stabilize and optimize its manufacturing processes.

The collaboration with Proventia combines cell supply with close technical cooperation, including optimization at module and pack level, validation work, and a shared focus on performance and reliability in demanding operating environments, Morrow said.

“This is an important milestone for Morrow. At the same time, the situation remains challenging, and there are no shortcuts to building stable and competitive battery production. It takes time to scale up production, improve processes, and consistently deliver the quality our customers expect. In Arendal, we are now producing cells that are being put into use by customers with high requirements for quality, performance and reliability of supply,” said Jon Fold von Bülow, Acting CEO of Morrow.

“Access to battery cells produced in Europe is becoming increasingly important for our customers, both from a supply security perspective and for future competitiveness,” added Jari Granath, Product Manager of Proventia. “Working with Morrow gives us a strong technology partner with the flexibility and industrial mindset needed to support demanding customer projects.”

Source: Proventia

Retail giant Walmart already offers EV charging at many of its stores, but it’s in the process of rolling out its own branded charging network, and it’s moving quickly. The latest deployment to be announced: ABB e-mobility is installing A400 All-in-One DC fast chargers at seven Walmart locations in the metropolitan Phoenix area.

Nine Walmart locations with a total of 38 ABB e-mobility A400 chargers are slated to come online in the coming months.

There are over 5,200 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across the US, and the company estimates that 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart location. Walmart’s market research indicates that offering EV charging will entice customers to visit its stores more often, and spend more time in the store on each visit. Walmart customers can start charging sessions directly through the Walmart app.

“As part of Walmart’s commitment to helping customers save money and live better, we’re excited to bring a retail-integrated EV charging experience to the communities we serve,” said Adam Happel, GM Walmart EV Charging. “We’re building a convenient and reliable network that gives our customers the ability to charge their EVs quickly and affordably without having to change their daily shopping routines.”

The ABB e-mobility A400 All-in-One chargers feature dual CCS and NACS connectors, and can each deliver up to 400 kilowatts of power—200 kW to two vehicles at once or the full 400 kW to a single car. The A400 includes a 32-inch configurable display for brand integration, promotions and advertising, and features a modular architecture designed to facilitate future expansion and/or upgrades. ABB’s ReliaGear switchboard will enable Walmart to add energy resources such as battery energy storage solutions.

“Launching in the Phoenix metro area is the first step in what will become the most ambitious retail charging rollout in the United States,” said Brandt Hastings, President North America, ABB e-mobility.

Source: ABB e-mobility

Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs) represent an excellent use case for electrification. The units run on inefficient diesel generators, and shore power to run electric units (eTRUs) is often available at sites where refrigerated trailers load and unload. (Read a feature on electrified trailers from our July-September 2025 issue.)

Nivalis Energy Systems develops electrified refrigerated transport solutions designed to help fleets transition away from diesel-powered TRUs. Designed for both retrofit and new trailer applications, Nivalis products support a wide range of trailer sizes and operational requirements.

Nivalis’s commercially available TRU-Power solution provides electrically powered refrigeration via a battery system. The integrated architecture enables refrigerated trailers to operate for extended periods with minimal reliance on grid charging. Nivalis began deployments across North American grocery and logistics operations in 2023.

Now the company has acquired SolarEdge e-Mobility, a European manufacturer of electrified trailers. The acquisition gives Nivalis access to SolarEdge’s engineering and R&D capabilities, including a new third-generation platform that combines battery storage, rooftop solar PV and regenerative e-axle technology.

The acquisition will also enable Nivalis to expand into Europe by taking advantage of SolarEdge’s established market presence and service network.

“Refrigerated transport has remained a major diesel-dependent element of the cold chain. Diesel-powered refrigeration systems are expensive to maintain, expensive to operate and increasingly difficult to justify,” said Sam Plunkett, CEO of Nivalis Energy Systems. “The challenge is no longer proving that electrified refrigeration can work—it’s helping fleets understand how commercially and operationally viable these systems have now become.”

Nivalis reports that government incentives in some parts of North America can support up to 100% of the cost of electrified refrigeration systems.

Source: Nivalis Energy Systems

Canadian graphite mine developer Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) has received a commitment of $297 million in financing to support its Phase 2 Matawinie Mine project.

The company will receive an equity investment of $82 million from Canada Growth Fund, $61 million from the Government of Québec through Investissement Québec, and $70 million from Italian oil giant Eni. The company has also launched a public offering of subscription receipts for gross proceeds of approximately $84 million.

The total $297 million financing is expected to fully fund the graphite mine, enabling the company to advance toward its final investment decision and construction.

The participation of Investissement Québec and the Canada Growth Fund builds on their prior support for the project and the broader ore‑to‑battery‑material supply chain.

As a condition of Eni’s equity investment, it will negotiate a potential offtake agreement for 15,000 tons per annum of graphite concentrate from the mine or equivalent in active anode material.

In recent months, NMG has advanced its execution strategy for the project. The company said it has advanced construction preparation, engineering and procurement, and awarded contracts representing over 50% of the project’s capital expenditure budget. NMG’s construction manager, Pomerleau, has started work on-site to supervise the start of the contractors’ arrival and preliminary civil works scheduled to get underway in the coming weeks.

The company has also acquired a brownfield site adjacent to its greenfield property to build the Bécancour Battery Material Plant, to supply 13,000 tons of active anode material annually to Panasonic Energy. The company is updating its feasibility study and advancing procurement negotiations with key equipment suppliers with a view to proceeding with an investment and construction decision during the second half of 2026.

Shareholders Panasonic and Mitsui have indicated their intention to vote in favor of the Matawinie mine transaction and have reiterated their interest in making an equity investment in the Bécancour plant.

Source: Nouveau Monde Graphite

EV charging provider Source, a joint venture between SSE and TotalEnergies, will work with Siemens eMobility and Evolt Charging to establish a unified operational and maintenance model across Source’s growing UK and Ireland charging network.

Siemens eMobility will supply charging hardware, and Evolt Charging will provide the field engineering capability to install, commission and maintain the hardware.

Evolt Charging’s team is trained and accredited on Siemens eMobility equipment. Source will have a single point of contact for all maintenance and repair activity across its network, regardless of charger type or location. As Source continues to add sites, Evolt Charging is expanding its pool of Siemens-trained engineers to keep pace.

Source plans to operate 300 charging hubs across the UK and Ireland by 2030. All the company’s hubs feature chargers with at least 150 kW of power capacity, all powered by renewable energy. Higher-powered options are available at some sites.

“Charging infrastructure is only as good as the team keeping it running,” said Deepa Chandrasekaran, Managing Director at Source. “By bringing together Siemens eMobility’s hardware expertise and Evolt Charging’s nationwide engineering capability, we have a model that means our customers can rely on our network wherever they are. As we grow, maintaining that reliability is what will set Source apart.”

“As a certified service provider [for] Siemens hardware, we support Source’s rollout through a fully integrated service and maintenance offering—from remote diagnostics and reporting to nationwide field support,” said Justin Meyer, Managing Director at Evolt Charging. “As networks scale across multiple hardware brands, our manufacturer-agnostic model gives operators the confidence of consistent service, compliance and driver support through a single trusted partner.”

Source: Source

A couple of years ago, e-truck expert Rustam Kocher told Charged that the Tesla Semi was “a great product,” but that the company might struggle to compete against more established OEMs. Since then, the EV market in the US has changed radically—the Tesla Semi is moving into volume production, and Chinese upstart Windrose has started delivering electric Class 8 tractors in the US. Now it’s the legacy brands that are looking like the underdogs.

Coincidentally or not, legacy truck-makers seem to be increasing their efforts to slow the transition to EVs. Even as Volvo and Daimler announce new electric truck models, the companies continue lobbying to weaken emissions standards in the US and Europe, and investing money in hydrogen fuel cells.

In a recent Forbes article, former EPA exec Margo Oge argues that Europe’s largest truck manufacturers would rather litigate than compete with Tesla and the Chinese brands in the US market. Daimler Truck, Volvo Group and Traton filed a motion through the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association to defend the Trump EPA’s repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding and the repeal of all motor vehicle climate standards. This stands in stark contrast to public statements that all three companies have made, asserting their commitment to electrification and emissions reduction.

“You cannot publicly claim climate leadership while supporting efforts to dismantle the policies designed to drive the transition to cleaner trucks,” Ms. Oge writes. “In China, roughly 25% of new truck sales are already electric and it is exporting aggressively. The transition is happening with or without Washington. The only question is whether legacy truck manufacturers compete or are left behind.”

Source: Forbes

Indium Corporation has been awarded a $3.2 million grant from the US Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation to develop a domestic process for recovering high-purity gallium from manufacturing by-products. The company is one of five organizations selected under the DOE’s TRACE-Ga (Technology for Recovery and Advanced Critical-material Extraction–Gallium) initiative, which is targeting novel gallium recovery technologies from US metal processing feedstocks.

Work will be conducted at Indium Corporation’s Rome, New York facility, using electrochemical methods and advanced purification techniques to convert gallium-bearing production scraps—including residues from gallium trichloride, gallium acetylacetonate and gallium oxide manufacturing—into high-purity metallic gallium. The project runs in two phases: Phase 1 designs and validates a recovery prototype; Phase 2 scales the system to produce at least one metric ton of 4N-grade (99.99% pure) gallium per year, with capacity to expand beyond that as commercial demand grows.

The domestic supply gap is significant. The U.S. hasn’t produced gallium domestically since 1987 and currently imports 100% of its supply. Gallium is the base material for gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors, which are increasingly used in EV onboard chargers and inverters for their switching efficiency at high voltages. It also underpins gallium arsenide (GaAs) devices in radar and RF systems, and is used in LEDs and solar cells.

“This project marks an important step toward restoring domestic gallium production for the first time in nearly 40 years,” said Ross Berntson, President and CEO of Indium Corporation. “Our efforts will support the commercialization of innovative technologies, strengthen domestic critical minerals production, and advance supply chain independence.”

The TRACE-Ga initiative is managed by ENERGYWERX under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement with the DOE’s Office of Technology Commercialization.

Source: Indium Corporation