Asahi Kasei selects Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada for upcoming Lithium-ion Battery Separator Plant.

Asahi Kasei revealed plans to establish its integrated lithium-ion battery (LIB) separator plant in Port Colborne, located in Ontario’s Niagara region, Canada. Operating under the name Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada, this new facility is poised to generate a host of skilled employment opportunities in both manufacturing and construction. Commercial production is slated to commence in 2027.

Koshiro Kudo, President & Representative Director of Asahi Kasei Corporation, spoke at the location announcement event, expressing the company’s enthusiasm for introducing Canada’s first Hipore™ wet-process lithium-ion separator manufacturing facility. He emphasized the strategic advantages of Port Colborne’s renewable resources, talented workforce, and robust community support in serving both local partners and the broader North American automotive market.

The Hipore™ wet-process separators, set to roll out from the Port Colborne facility, are vital components for LIBs, particularly in electric vehicles (EVs) and other energy storage applications.

As of April 25, 2024, Asahi Kasei has committed an initial investment of around 180 billion JPY (CAD$ 1.56 billion) to establish an annual capacity of approximately 700 million square meters of Hipore™ separators at this Canadian site.

Support for the project will come from the provincial government of Ontario, facilitated by its investment attraction agency, Invest Ontario. Furthermore, Asahi Kasei stands to benefit from the federal government’s new Clean Technology Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit (ITC).