Asahi Kasei to Increase Lithium-Ion Battery Separator Coating Capacity

Asahi Kasei will invest in new coating equipment for Hipore lithium-ion battery separators in its US, Japan, and South Korea facilities, starting in the first half of fiscal year 2026. The increased capacity will provide coated separators for batteries powering up to 1.7 million electric vehicles.

Asahi Kasei supplies two types of Hipore wet-process lithium-ion battery (LIB) separators: one with a polyolefin base film and another with added coatings. This business is a vital part of their growth strategy to meet the rising demand for electric vehicles, being a key investment area in their plan by 2024.

The company plans to invest around €248 million (¥40 billion) in expanding coating capacity by 700 million m2/year across sites in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Hyuga, Miyazaki, Japan; and Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, South Korea. 

Hiroyoshi Matsuyama, Senior Executive Officer and President of the Environmental Solutions Strategic Business Unit commented, “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.”

The expanded LIB separator infrastructure will increase coating capacity to 1.2 billion m2/year, serving batteries for 1.7 million vehicles.

Asahi Kasei to significantly expand coating capacity for lithium-ion battery...
Asahi Kasei to significantly expand coating capacity for lithium-ion battery separators. Hipore LIB separators pictured. © Asahi Kasei

Company

Logo:

Asahi Kasei Europe

Fringsstraße 17
40221 Düsseldorf
Germany

Company contact







Interview

Specialty Chemicals in a Shifting World
Adapting to Tariffs and Strengthening Regional Networks

Specialty Chemicals in a Shifting World

Jennifer Abril, President & CEO of SOCMA, discusses the impact of new tariffs and the importance of regional supply networks in the specialty chemical industry.

Free Virtual Event

Sustainability in Bioprocessing
Bioprocess Forum

Sustainability in Bioprocessing

Join us to explore hot topics in sustainable bioprocessing like the industrial potential of enzymatic synthesis, innovative biocatalysis techniques, and the use of digital twins in bioprocessing.