Canada is a global leader in the electric vehicle (EV) market.

As demand for EVs continues to grow, Canada Wants more of these vehicles to be assembled in the country. In the last four years, more than $46 billion has been invested by auto, EV battery, and battery component manufacturers across the country, with billions more in the pipeline. These global companies want a reliable partner with world-class talent, and this is exactly what we have to offer.

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, welcomed Asahi Kasei Corporation’s investment of approximately $1.6 billion to build an EV battery separator plant in Port Colborne, Ontario. As medium- to long-term growth is forecasted in the North American EV market, the company expects to make additional multi-billion-dollar investments through multiple phases. Details regarding direct jobs created by this investment are currently being finalized and will be announced at a later date.

Asahi Kasei’s decision to build this new facility in Port Colborne is a testament to Canada and Ontario’s competitive business environment, highly skilled workforce, and dependable supply chains. The project is expected to benefit from federal support through the Clean Technology Manufacturing investment tax credit. Ontario expects to support this project with both direct and indirect incentives.

The Canadian auto sector has long been an engine of economic growth, driving innovation and creating good-paying jobs. As demand for EVs continues to grow, the country is well positioned to attract further investment, solidifying its leadership in auto, EV battery, and battery material industries, and creating economic growth and opportunities now and for generations to come.

Quick Facts

Asahi Kasei Corporation is a multinational company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Asahi Kasei’s new plant in Port Colborne will produce Hipore battery separators, an essential component of the lithium-ion batteries used in EVs which makes batteries more sustainable and durable. Construction of the facility will be completed by the end of 2024 and the plant is expected to be commercially operational in 2027.

The Hipore battery separator is a microporous polyolefin sheet that prevents the anode and cathode from contacting one another and causing a short circuit while enabling lithium ions to pass back and forth during battery charging and discharging.

It is projected that the global sales of EVs will be over three times higher in 2030 than it was in 2023, and Canada is well-positioned to be a major player in EV production.

Earlier this year, BloombergNEF ranked Canada’s attractiveness to build EV battery supply chains first in the world, surpassing China which has held the top spot since the ranking began.

Canada has attracted investments across our EV supply chain, from mining to manufacturing. With Asahi Kasei’s new project, these investments now total more than $46 billion since 2020.