Rendering of the joint-venture plant planned by Asahi Kasei Corp. and Honda Motor Co. in Ontario, Canada.

Utilities/Energy

Asahi Kasei and Honda Form Joint Venture to Produce Battery Separators in Canada

Nov. 4, 2024

The companies have signed an agreement to convert Asahi Kasei's subsidiary in Canada into a joint venture, with Honda acquiring a 25% stake and investing around $300 million.

Jonathan Katz

Asahi Kasei Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have formed a joint venture to produce battery separators, a critical safety component in lithium-ion batteries.

The companies signed a shareholders’ agreement Nov. 1 to convert Asahi Kasei subsidiary E-Materials Canada Corp. into a joint venture company. The two companies previously announced a plan on April 25 to build an integrated plant in Ontario, Canada for the base film manufacturing and coating of Hipore wet-process lithium-ion battery separator.

The companies will operate as a joint venture by early 2025 under the tentative name of Asahi Kasei Honda Battery Separator Corp. Production is expected to begin in 2027.

The start-up date is subject to obtaining permits and approvals from relevant authorities, according to a news release from Asahi Kasei.

Honda Canada Inc. will acquire a 25% stake and invest a total of about C$417 million (US$300 million) into the joint venture.

The joint-venture company will produce Asahi Kasei’s Hipore battery separator, a microporous polyolefin flat membrane. The partnership will help establish a stable supply of separators in North America, said Ryu Taniguchi, president and representative director at Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Corp.

“At the beginning of October, we launched Asahi Kasei Battery Separator as a new company for the Hipore separator business to achieve more nimble management for this essential component of lithium-ion batteries,” Taniguchi added.

About the Author

Jonathan Katz | Executive Editor

Jonathan Katz, executive editor, brings nearly two decades of experience as a B2B journalist to Chemical Processing magazine. He has expertise on a wide range of industrial topics. Jon previously served as the managing editor for IndustryWeek magazine and, most recently, as a freelance writer specializing in content marketing for the manufacturing sector.

His knowledge areas include industrial safety, environmental compliance/sustainability, lean manufacturing/continuous improvement, Industry 4.0/automation and many other topics of interest to the Chemical Processing audience.

When he’s not working, Jon enjoys fishing, hiking and music, including a small but growing vinyl collection.

Jon resides in the Cleveland, Ohio, area.