Asahi Kasei has opened a new Hipore wet-process lithium-ion battery separator coating line in Charlotte, North Carolina, marking a major step in the company’s push to build a localized battery separator supply network across North America.

 

The grand opening ceremony on August 20 expands production capabilities at Asahi Kasei’s existing Celgard manufacturing facility and establishes North America-based coating and supply capacity for the company’s wet-process separator technology.

 

The Charlotte project, approved in 2023, is the first phase of a broader regional supply strategy. Commercial production is scheduled to begin in the second half of fiscal 2026.

 

The opening also marked the 40th anniversary of the Charlotte facility, which has manufactured dry-process battery separators in the United States since 1986.

 

Local government officials, representatives of Toyota Tsusho Corporation — which has entered into a capacity rights agreement for the facility — and other project stakeholders attended the ceremony.

 

The investment comes as North American demand for batteries is expected to grow beyond electric vehicles, fueled in part by the rapid expansion of energy storage systems. While competition in the separator market remains intense, improving regional conditions are creating opportunities for suppliers that can offer localized production and more responsive supply chains.

 

“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.”

 

Asahi Kasei is also moving ahead with construction of its planned wet-process separator facility in Canada. The Charlotte coating line and Canadian plant are expected to form the backbone of a regional wet-process separator supply network, bringing production closer to North American battery customers.

 

The investments underscore Asahi Kasei’s broader expansion strategy for its Energy & Infrastructure business, identified as a Growth Potential area under the company’s medium-term management plan.

 

With the Charlotte line now entering the final stage before commercial production, Asahi Kasei is positioning itself to compete for the region’s growing battery and energy storage demand with a more localized manufacturing footprint.