- Celgard Charlotte manufacturing plant will expand battery separator capacity and create new jobs
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Celgard, LLC (Celgard), a subsidiary of Polypore International, LP (Polypore), an Asahi Kasei company, is pleased to announce a major expansion at its manufacturing site of Celgard in Charlotte, North Carolina. Asahi Kasei has approved investment in on-site Hipore™ wet process coating and finishing lines to meet the growing demand for lithium-ion battery (LIB) separators in the electric vehicle (EV) market.
The Biden-Harris Administration and the US Department of Energy (DOE) have identified the US domestic battery market as a critical area of supply chain focus for the nation. Investments in Celgard's Charlotte facility will allow the company to expand existing infrastructure to quickly meet demand from the lithium-ion battery separator (LIB) supply chain and domestic customers.
Celgard manufactures dry process membrane separators that are also used in vehicle electrification. The company already has a base of trained employees capable of applying technical coatings to base film shipped from Hipore™ sister locations and completing the necessary finishing steps to meet customer specifications. Both wet process and dry process membranes have unique properties that meet a variety of needs in the automotive market. With the expansion, Celgard's manufacturing site will be positioned to offer the market the best domestically sourced solutions with a comprehensive product portfolio.
Chad Schuchmann, CEO of Polypore, shared this about the investment: "Celgard has been a key player in the domestic supply chain for electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries from the beginning and our expansion into North America not only solidifies further our position as a market leader with a skilled workforce, but also fully supports the country's efforts to establish a thriving domestic supply chain for lithium batteries and electric vehicles."
Construction will begin at the Charlotte site in early 2024 and operations are planned to begin in 2026. The expansion will create about 100 new clean energy jobs at the Charlotte facility.
About Celgard and Polypore
Celgard specializes in solvent-free, coated and uncoated, dry process microporous membranes used as separators and which are an important component of lithium-ion batteries. Celgard's battery separation technology is important to the performance of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, energy storage systems and other applications.
Celgard, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polypore International, LP, an Asahi Kasei company.
Polypore is a global company with facilities in nine countries that specializes in microporous membranes used in electric and non-electric vehicles, energy storage systems and specialized applications. Visit www.celgard.com and www.polypore.com.
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