China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is expected to issue a final approval for the eighth batch of national-level “Specialized, Refined, Distinctive and Innovative” enterprises, after Guizhou Province recommended 28 firms, including Sunrise (Guizhou) New Energy Materials Co., Ltd., a joint venture of U.S.-listed E-Power Inc.
The inclusion follows a public review period from June 16 to June 23, 2026, and an expert-panel acceptance review completed in July. The designation remains provisional until the MIIT publishes the official national list, which typically occurs several weeks after provincial recommendations.
Sunrise Guizhou, which operates a graphite anode materials plant in Guizhou, has filed 187 intellectual property applications, securing 46 patents—35 domestic invention patents, 8 utility model patents, and 3 foreign patents in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. The company also holds 17 registered data intellectual property rights and participates in 45 active industry standards, including the drafting of a 2026 national standard for porous carbon in silicon-based anode materials.
The joint venture is also advancing a provincial program focused on graphite anode materials for high-energy-density fast-charging lithium-ion batteries. E-Power, which structures its operations in China through a joint venture and a variable interest entity, reported a 5.1% decline in its U.S.-traded shares to $0.469 on August 17, with after-hours trading flat at the same level.
