Page 156 - CW E-Magazine (13-5-2025)

News from Abroad

BATTERY MATERIALS

Idemitsu Kosan raises capacity at pilot facility

for making solid-state battery electrolytes

Japanese refiner, Idemitsu Kosan, said it has invested in i Labo,
recently completed construction to expand a Japanese startup company
capacity of a small pilot facility located developing and selling hydro-
at its Chiba Complex in Ichihara City, gen engines, and will begin
Chiba Prefecture. collaborating. In this collabo-
ration, Idemitsu will verify
The facilities are for the mass produc- the suitability of the engine
tion of solid electrolytes used in all-solid- oil it provides for hydrogen
state lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. engines and consider deve-
Two small pilot facilities are currently in loping a dedicated oil.
operation, of which the capacity increase
work on one has been completed. i Labo uses its techno-
Chiba Complex – had started in October logy to improve existing diesel engines
“With this capacity increase, we 2024. In February 2025, Idemitsu had and develop hydrogen engines for trains,
have expanded our solid electrolyte announced plans to construct a large- trucks, and generators. i Labo recently
sample supply capacity from several scale production facility for lithium increased its capital for the main purpose
tons per year to more than a dozen sulphide (Li2S, an important interme- of building a research facility, the Aichi
tons per year. We have also expanded diate raw material for solid electrolytes). Hekinan R&D Centre, scheduled to
our facilities to verify mass production Completion of the facility is scheduled open later this year.
technology for the future,” the company for June 2027 and the project cost is
informed. Idemitsu said it will accele- estimated to be about 21.3-billion yen Idemitsu will support the practical
rate technological verification to ($142.65-mn), the company had said. application of engine oil from the perspec-
establish mass production technology The new plant will have a capacity of tive of research and development. Idemitsu
in a large pilot facility as the next stage, 1,000 metric tons per year, sufficient to will provide engine oil to the bench test
aiming for practical application of all- produce solid electrolyte for manufac- machine and actual machine being de-
solid-state batteries in 2027 to 2028, turing over 50,000,000 electric vehicles veloped by i Labo, and both companies
and beyond that, commercialisation of annually. will verify the suitability for hydrogen
solid electrolytes. engines. Based on the verification results,
Investment in in Japanese hydrogen Idemitsu will work with i Labo to consider
The basic design of the large pilot engine startup the development of dedicated engine oil
facility, also to be located within the In another development, Idemitsu for hydrogen engines.

PARTNERSHIP
DSM-Firmenich and French perfume brand join up

to create functional fragrances

French perfume brand, Initio desire. Three-quarters of emotions a lopment of new olfactive accords, ad-
Parfums Privés, is teaming with DSM- person experiences on a daily basis are vanced olfactory technology and scien-
Firmenich on functional fragrance believed to be set off unconsciously by tific methods to measure the conscious
creation. smells. and unconscious emotional responses
to fragrance.
The partnership focuses on scents Through the partnership, Initio can
that can impact emotions – enhance access DSM-Firmenich’s scientific The collaboration is based on
well-being, boost confidence or stir innovations, including bespoke deve- three pillars: the development of ac-

156 Chemical Weekly May 13, 2025

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