en.Wedoany.com Reported - UBE MAXELL CO., LTD. has announced plans to construct a new lithium-ion battery (LiB) separator base film production facility at its Sakai Works to meet the growing demand for automotive LiBs. The company is a joint venture between UBE Corp. (Tokyo) and Maxell, Ltd. (President: Keiji Nakamura).
This new construction follows another separator base film production facility currently being built at the Sakai Works, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2026. The first phase of the new project is set to begin in fiscal year 2026, with the second phase expected in fiscal year 2029. Through these expansions, UBE MAXELL's separator base film production capacity will increase by approximately 50% compared to current levels.
Against the backdrop of global trends toward a decarbonized society, the medium- to long-term adoption of electric vehicles (xEV) continues to expand, and demand for separators—a key component of LiBs—is expected to grow further. Although the recent expansion of the pure electric vehicle (EV) market has seen some adjustments, demand in automotive applications, particularly for hybrid vehicles (HV), remains robust, with underlying demand staying resilient. Additionally, beyond the growth in renewable energy usage, demand for LiBs in energy storage systems (ESS) is also expanding, driven by increased electricity needs from factors such as artificial intelligence and data centers. Consequently, the separator market is expected to grow in both automotive and non-automotive applications.
UBE MAXELL produces separators using a dry process. Leveraging their performance advantages and safety features, these separators are widely used in automotive LiBs. The company stated that it will continue to meet the growing demand for separators in a timely manner by expanding production capacity and accelerating application development for next-generation xEVs and non-automotive markets, thereby driving business growth.
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