Asahi Kasei held a grand opening ceremony on August 20 for a new Hipore wet-process lithium-ion battery separator coating line in Charlotte, North Carolina, marking a significant step in the company's broader North American battery separator strategy. A separator is a thin membrane that keeps the positive and negative electrodes inside a battery apart while still allowing ions to pass through, and this investment expands production capacity at Asahi Kasei's existing Celgard manufacturing facility, establishing coating and supply capabilities for its wet-process separator technology based in North America.
The facility represents the first step toward building a regional supply system for wet-process separators. The investment decision was originally made in 2023, and commercial production is scheduled to begin in the second half of fiscal 2026. The opening also coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Celgard facility in Charlotte, which has been producing dry-process separators in the U.S. since 1986. The ceremony brought together local government officials, representatives from Toyota Tsusho Corporation, which has entered into a capacity rights agreement tied to the facility, and other stakeholders who supported the project's development.
The investment comes as demand for batteries in North America is expected to grow beyond electric vehicles alone, driven in part by the increasing deployment of energy storage systems. While the battery separator market remains competitive, improving regional market conditions are creating opportunities for suppliers that can offer localized production and responsive supply.
Ryu Taniguchi, president of Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Corporation, said opening the Charlotte coating line is a key milestone in building the company's North American supply platform for battery separators. He said that by drawing on Celgard's experienced workforce and established operations, the company is expanding its North American product lineup to include both dry-process and Hipore wet-process separator technologies. He added that together with Asahi Kasei's planned separator facility in Canada, this investment will bring production capabilities closer to the region's battery market and position the company to respond quickly as demand grows across both electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Construction of Asahi Kasei's wet-process separator facility in Canada is also proceeding as planned. Together, the Charlotte coating line and the Canadian plant are meant to establish a regional supply framework for wet-process separators, strengthening the company's manufacturing presence and market position across North America. The investments support Asahi Kasei's broader growth strategy for its Energy & Infrastructure business, which is designated as a growth-focused area under the company's medium-term management plan.
