Japanese chemical Asahi Kasei Co. has announced the construction of an integrated plant in Ontario, Canada for the base film manufacturing and coating of its Hipore wet-process lithium-ion battery separator and Asahi Kasei will invest approximately ¥180 billion in this facility. ($1.14 billion), which is expected to have a production capacity of approximately 700 million square meters per year of coated film, and is planned to begin commercial operations in 2027. The company established a subsidiary called Asahi Kasei Battery Separator in October 2024, which is to issue preferred shares to the Development Bank of Japan to receive financing of approximately ¥28 billion.
Canadian separator business company ES Materials Canada and E-Materials Canada, its local manufacturing company responsible for plant construction and manufacturing, are to provide the financing. And Asahi Kasei also expects to receive financial support for the plant from the federal government of Canada and the provincial government of Ontario, which are also supported under the 2023 agreement between Canada and Japan related to battery supply chains.
The company has a basic partnership with Honda, and the two companies are exploring the possibility of setting up a joint venture to manufacture Hepor separators for batteries installed in EVs manufactured by Honda and other automakers for the North American market. Complete efforts are underway.
Manabu Ozawa, Managing Director of Honda, said that the separator is a very important component which is very important in contributing to the high performance and durability of the battery which is essential for EVs. This project will not only generate new investment for Canada but will also encourage an environmentally friendly production process and will also add value to the eco-friendly cause.
Source: Asahi Kasei via chargedevs
