Formosa Mitsui Advanced Chemicals Co. (FMAC), a joint venture of Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (MCI; Tokyo; www.mitsuichem.com) and Formosa Plastics Corp. (FPC) announced the startup of its lithium-ion battery-use electrolyte solution production facilities.
Demand for lithium-ion batteries has expanded in line with growth of laptop, smartphone, and tablet device markets. In the future, greater market growth is forecasted for the mobility market with the surge in demand for environment-friendly hybrid and electric vehicles especially in China.
In the company’s midterm business plan, the mobility domain is targeted as a growth driver. As one of the growth leaders in this domain, Mitsui Chemicals eyes lithium-ion battery-use electrolytic solutions and is actively pursuing development in this area. With the startup of commercial operations at FMAC, Mitsui Chemicals will further strengthen and expand its electrolyte solution business with a focus on the mobility domain. FMAC was established in August 2013, and is located at the FPC industrial complex in Ningbo, China. The initial production capacity is 1,500 metric tons per year (m.t./yr), which will be increased in line with demand.