Celgard, a subsidiary of Polypore International, has announced a major expansion at its Celgard manufacturing site in Charlotte, North Carolina. An investment in Hipore wet-process coating and finishing lines at the site was approved to meet the rising demand for lithium-ion battery (LIB) separators in the electric vehicle (EV) market.
The Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have identified the domestic U.S. battery market as a critical supply chain focus area for the nation. Investments in Celgard’s Charlotte plant will allow the company to expand existing infrastructure to quickly meet the demand of the lithium-ion battery (LIB) separator supply chain and domestic customers.
Celgard dry-process and Hipore wet-process coated and uncoated microporous membranes are used as separators in various lithium-ion batteries utilized primarily in electric drive vehicles (EDV) and other applications.
Celgard manufactures dry-process membrane separators also used in vehicle electrification. The company already has a skilled employee base capable of applying technical coatings to base film shipped from Hipore locations and completing the finishing steps required to meet customer specifications.
Both the wet-process and dry-process membranes have unique properties that meet a variety of needs in the automotive market. With this new expansion, the Celgard manufacturing site will be positioned to provide the best domestically sourced solutions to the market with a complete product portfolio.
“Celgard has long been a major contributor to the domestic EV and lithium-ion battery supply chain,” says Chad Schuchmann, CEO of Polypore. “Our expansion into North America not only strengthens our market position but also helps establish a thriving domestic supply chain for lithium batteries and EVs.”
Construction at the Charlotte site will begin in early 2024, with operations planned to start up in 2026. The expansion will create about 100 new clean-energy jobs at the Charlotte facility.
Filed Under: Batteries, Technology News