Nippon Shokubai invests in Fukuoka plant for EV battery electrolytes

NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD. (Headquarters: Osaka, Japan, President: Kazuhiro Noda) is proceeding with a project to build new plant in Fukuoka Prefecture with the goal of commencing commercial operations by 2028 for LiFSI (Lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, Product name: IONEL), which is used as the electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries and contributes to the high performance of electric vehicles (such as reducing charging time, extending EV range, and improving output power at low-temperature environments).

This project has been adopted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry as a “Plan related to initiatives for ensuring stable supply of batteries” on September 6. The investment amount is expected to be up to 37.5 billion yen, including a subsidy anticipated to be up to 12.5 billion yen based on the adoption by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. The new plant of IONEL will be having an annual production capacity of 3,000 tons. If IONEL is used 100% as the electrolyte, this will result in a lithium-ion battery capacity of 21.4 GWh, corresponding to 210 thousand electric vehicles. The new plant will be constructed on a newly acquired site in Fukuoka Prefecture, which has many attractive features as a business base, including convenience in logistics and safety against natural disasters.

Our company views various environmental issues as new business opportunities and is trying the resolution through our technology. The Japanese government has set a goal of establishing a domestic manufacturing capacity of 150 GWh/year by 2030 for rechargeable batteries, which are indispensable for the spread of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, having a profound effect for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and intends to strengthen the competitiveness of the rechargeable battery industry. In line with the policy, our company plans to build the new plant of IONEL and ensure a stable supply, which enables to reinforce the supply chain in the domestic rechargeable battery market and also contributes to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and building a sustainable society.

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Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)