Asahi Kasei and Honda have recently entered into a shareholders’ agreement to form a joint venture aimed at producing lithium-ion battery separators in Canada. This joint venture builds on a basic agreement from April 2024 and involves converting Asahi Kasei’s existing Canadian subsidiary, E-Materials Canada Corporation, into a new entity called Asahi Kasei Honda Battery Separator Corporation. Under this arrangement, Honda Canada Inc. will acquire a 25% stake in E-Materials by subscribing to new shares, while also investing a total of C$417 million (around US$300 million) into the venture. The collaboration leverages Asahi Kasei’s advanced material technologies and Honda’s expertise in electrification to produce high-quality battery separators. This aligns with both companies’ commitment to advancing high-performance electric vehicles and supporting the global energy transition.
The joint venture will be headquartered in Port Colborne, Ontario, with a planned capital of C$240 million. A fully integrated production facility will be developed for manufacturing and coating the Hipore™ lithium-ion battery separator. Set to become operational in early 2025 pending necessary regulatory approvals, the venture is expected to have a production capacity of 700 million square meters of coated film annually by 2027. Ryu Taniguchi, President of Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Corp., expressed confidence that this partnership would not only stabilize the supply of separators in North America but also enhance battery durability, supporting Honda’s vision for carbon neutrality by 2050 and reinforcing both companies’ dedication to sustainable energy solutions.
