Showa Denko (SDK) has decided to expand production capacity for vapour grown carbon fibre (VGCF), carbon nanofibre added to cathodes and anodes of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) to improve electrical conductivity.
Specifically, SDK will gradually increase its VGCF production capacity at Kawasaki Plant, Kanagawa Prefecture, from 200 tonne/year at present to 300 tonne/year by the end of 2017, to meet the demand for large LIBs used in cars. While SDK strengthened its LIB-material-supply system from time to time in response to market growth, the company has decided to further expand VGCF production capacity because the current market growth exceeds original forecast. The production capacity is to be increased, as a first step, to 250 tonne/year in the first half of 2017. Then, confirming the market trends, SDK will increase the capacity further to 300 tonne/year by the end of 2017.
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