The Mitsubishi Chemical Group has decided to increase the production capacity of anode material for lithium-ion batteries used mainly in electric vehicles (EVs) at its Kagawa plant with the expanded operations scheduled to start in October 2026.

Anode material, one of the principal materials used in lithium-ion batteries, is made from natural or synthetic graphite.

The Group's strength lies in products made from natural graphite, which has a low GHG-emission manufacturing process and which enjoys certain advantages in terms of lifecycle assessment.

Furthermore, the Group has utilized new proprietary technology to develop a grade that exceeds the performance of synthetic graphite by constraining swelling that affects battery life, which has been an issue with natural graphite.

The Group has decided to increase production capacity at the Kagawa Plant to produce this grade of product in order to strengthen supply chains and enhance efforts to make materials for mobility more carbon-neutral.