Asahi Kasei has opened a new Hipore wet-process lithium-ion battery separator coating line at its existing Celgard manufacturing facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, strengthening its regional production capability as demand for batteries and energy storage systems grows.
The company held a grand opening ceremony on 20 August, marking the start of a project first announced in 2023. Commercial production on the new coating line is scheduled to begin in the second half of fiscal 2026.
The investment adds wet-process separator coating to the Charlotte site, which has manufactured dry-process separators in the US since 1986. The facility’s 40th anniversary coincides with the latest expansion, creating a production base capable of supplying both separator technologies to the North American market.
“Opening the Charlotte coating line is a key milestone in establishing our North American supply platform for battery separators,” said Ryu Taniguchi, President of Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Corporation. “By leveraging Celgard’s experienced workforce and established operations, we are expanding our North American product portfolio to include both dry-process and Hipore wet-process technologies. Together with our planned separator facility in Canada, this investment will bring production capabilities closer to the region’s battery market and position Asahi Kasei to swiftly respond as demand grows across electric vehicles and energy storage systems.”
Battery separators are critical components within lithium-ion cells, providing electrical isolation between the cathode and anode while allowing ionic transport. Wet-process separator technologies can be engineered to deliver the combination of mechanical and electrochemical characteristics required by increasingly demanding cell designs.
Asahi Kasei’s investment reflects an anticipated expansion of North American battery demand beyond electric vehicles, with stationary energy storage also contributing to market growth. The company says improving regional market conditions are creating opportunities for suppliers able to provide localised production and responsive supply chains.
The Charlotte coating line forms part of a broader North American strategy. Construction of Asahi Kasei’s planned wet-process separator facility in Canada is progressing, with the two investments intended to establish a regional supply framework for Hipore separators.
The developments will expand Asahi Kasei’s manufacturing footprint in North America and support its Energy & Infrastructure business, identified as a growth potential area under the company’s medium-term management plan.
