Japanese chemical group Asahi Kasei opened a coating line for wet-process battery separators in Charlotte, North Carolina, expanding its manufacturing footprint outside Asia.
Commercial production at the facility starts in the second half of fiscal 2026. The new coating capacity produces Hipore wet-process separators directly on the grounds of the existing Celgard plant, a site that has made dry-process separators for 40 years.
Building regional supply for electric mobility
The Charlotte line links with a separator factory currently under construction in Canada. Operating both sites gives the Tokyo-based supplier local capacity for two distinct separator technologies across North America, targeting electric vehicle cell makers and stationary energy storage operators.
Separators serve as microporous plastic barriers between the cathode and anode inside lithium-ion cells, preventing electrical shorts while permitting lithium ions to pass through liquid electrolytes. Automakers building battery supply chains in North America have pushed component suppliers to localize membrane production to reduce shipping lead times and tariff exposure.
Expanding beyond domestic plants
Japanese materials suppliers historically kept advanced wet-process separator manufacturing concentrated in East Asia before customer localization requirements forced capital expenditure abroad. Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Corporation president Ryu Taniguchi said pairing the Charlotte coating operations with the planned Canadian factory will bring production closer to regional cell manufacturers as demand scales.
The company is now preparing the Charlotte line for qualification runs ahead of its scheduled commercial ramp in late fiscal 2026.