Nippon Shokubai Ltd. (Osaka, Japan) is proceeding with a project to build a new plant in Fukuoka Prefecture with the goal of commencing commercial operations by 2028 for Lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI; Product name: IONEL), which is used as the electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries and contributes to improved 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 for IONEL have an annual production capacity of 3,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr). The new plant will be constructed on a newly acquired site in Fukuoka Prefecture.
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.