Asahi Kasei will increase production capacity for Hipore™ Li-ion battery (LIB) separator* at its plant in Hyuga, Miyazaki, Japan.
Rapid growth of the LIB market is primarily driven by automotive applications due to increasing demand for electric-drive vehicles. Supplying both wet-process and dry-process separators with its Hipore™ and Celgard™ products, Asahi Kasei holds a world-leading position as an LIB separator manufacturer. Asahi Kasei has been proactively expanding its environmentally friendly LIB separator business with wet-process manufacturing plants located in Japan (Moriyama, Shiga, and Hyuga, Miyazaki) and dry-process manufacturing plants located in the US (North Carolina).
Outline of the new capacity expansion
Product
Hipore™ LIB separator (wet process)
Location
Hyuga, Miyazaki, Japan (within existing plant grounds)
Investment
≈¥30 billion
Production capacity
≈350 million m²/year
Start-up
First half of fiscal 2023 (scheduled)
Upon completion, this expansion will raise wet-process capacity to 1.35 billion m²/year and total capacity to 1.9 billion m²/year combined with 550 million m²/year in dry-process capacity. In accordance with forthcoming demand trends, Asahi Kasei will continue to increase its LIB separator capacity to meet the growing needs of customers.
- A thin microporous film of polyolefin placed between the cathode and anode of lithium-ion batteries. It prevents contact between the electrodes which would cause a short, while allowing lithium ions to pass between the electrodes.