Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Corporation marked a step in its commitment to supporting the North American electric vehicle (EV) market by breaking ground on its new lithium-ion battery separator manufacturing facility in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.
The plant is expected to begin commercial production in 2027, subject to obtaining permits and approvals from relevant authorities. It is planned to operate as a joint venture facility between Asahi Kasei and Honda.
The facility, expected to create more than 300 full-time jobs in the first phase, will produce approximately 700 million square meters of coated lithium-ion battery separators annually. The coated battery separator is a vital component of the battery that keeps the positive and negative electrodes from touching, preventing short circuits, while allowing lithium ions to pass through, which allows energy to be stored.
The project will move into visible construction phases in the coming months, including structural development and utility connections to support the building.
The Port Colborne plant will effectively be Canada’s first large-scale wet-process separator facility, strengthening Asahi Kasei’s energy storage business and contributing to its growth strategy. The battery separators play a critical role in lithium-ion batteries, enabling higher energy density and long-term durability, essential for EVs and other energy storage applications.
Filed Under: Technology News