The new capacity expansion will allow Asahi Kasei to supply coated separators for batteries for over 1.7 million electric vehicles.
Asahi Kasei has recently announced that it will invest in additional coating lines for its already existing Kasei LIB separator facilities in the United States of America, Japan and South Korea, with start-up scheduled in succession from the first half of fiscal year 2026.
In North America, it is forecasted a significant expansion of electric vehicle production. The investment, that will then allow the company to supply coated separators for batteries for over 1.7 million electric vehicles, regards the Hipore™ wet-process LIB separators: a polyolefin microporous base film membrane and a coated membrane separator produced by applying ceramic and other coatings to the base film.
“Expanding Hipore™ operations globally to keep pace with the electric vehicle market is an important milestone for our separator business. We are happy to support the growth of our customers abroad, and with the help of our established global locations, we can do that quickly by investing in existing infrastructure and then expanding further with new greenfield sites as needed to meet regional demand,” has stated Hiroyoshi Matsuyama, the senior executive officer and the president of the Environmental Solutions Strategic business unit of Asahi Kasei.