March 14, 2019
Asahi Kasei Corp.

Asahi Kasei will enhance its manufacturing infrastructure for Li-ion battery (LIB) separator* as described below, with completion scheduled for the first half of fiscal 2021.

Rapid growth of the LIB market is primarily driven by automotive applications due to increasing demand for electric-drive vehicles and by energy storage systems (ESS) due to greater adoption of renewable power sources. Asahi Kasei, the world’s leading LIB separator manufacturer, supplying both wet-process and dry-process separators with its Hipore™ and Celgard™ products, has been proactively expanding this business.

Outline of the manufacturing infrastructure enhancement

1) New capacity expansion

Product

Hipore™ LIB separator (wet process)
Celgard™ LIB separator (dry process)

Location

Moriyama, Shiga, Japan, and North Carolina, the US
(within existing plant grounds)

Investment

≈¥30 billion

Start-up

First half of fiscal 2021 (scheduled)

2) Rationalization and productivity improvements

Streamlining and consolidation of existing production facilities and product grades

These measures will result in a 300 million m²/year rise in wet-process capacity and a 150 million m²/year rise in dry-process capacity, for a total increase of 450 million m²/year.

Asahi Kasei’s total LIB separator capacity will be 730 million m²/year at the end of fiscal 2018, including wet-process capacity of 410 million m²/year and dry-process capacity of 320 million m²/year. Plant expansions currently in progress will raise total capacity to 1.1 billion m²/year upon completion in fiscal 2020, with wet-process capacity increasing to 700 million m²/year and dry-process capacity increasing to 400 million m²/year.

Completion of the measures announced today will further raise Asahi Kasei’s total LIB separator capacity to 1.55 billion m²/year in fiscal 2021, with wet-process capacity increasing to 1 billion m²/year and dry-process capacity increasing to 550 million m²/year.

In accordance with forthcoming demand trends, Asahi Kasei intends to raise its total LIB separator capacity, including both wet and dry processes, to 3 billion m²/year around 2025 in order 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.

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