Asahi Kasei signs first China licence for novel acetonitrile-containing battery electrolyte

Tokyo-based diversified chemicals and materials manufacturer, Asahi Kasei, has entered a non-exclusive licence agreement with HighChem Shanghai, an affiliate of Japanese chemicals trading company HighChem, for production and sale of Acetolyte, Asahi Kasei’s acetonitrile-containing electrolyte, in China.

Under the deal, HighChem Shanghai will produce and sell the electrolyte to battery manufacturers in the country - the first time Asahi Kasei has licensed the technology in China.

The tie-up comes as China’s high-performance lithium-ion battery market expands rapidly on the back of growth in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. HighChem Shanghai will draw on its customer base and established presence in China’s battery industry to support market adoption of the electrolyte and ensure supply to local customers.

Ms. Yueyuan Long, General Manager of HighChem Shanghai, said the company’s nearly two decades of experience in the lithium-ion battery business had given it deep knowledge of the Chinese market, and that the collaboration with Asahi Kasei would help unlock new possibilities for the battery industry. Mr. Osamu Matsuzaki, Senior Executive Officer of Asahi Kasei and Head of Corporate R&D, said the company had already expanded its Acetolyte business through licensing partnerships in Europe, and that the China agreement represented a significant step in extending the technology globally while reinforcing its licensing-based growth strategy.

Acetolyte offers high ionic conductivity, enabling greater battery power output at low temperatures and improved durability at high temperatures, an area that remains a challenge for current lithium-ion batteries. It also allows manufacturers to build smaller, more energy-dense battery packs at lower cost.

The agreement falls under Asahi Kasei’s Technology-value Business Creation initiative, part of its medium-term management plan announced in April 2025, through which the company aims to monetise patents, know-how, data and algorithms via licensing for asset-light commercialisation. Asahi Kasei is targeting at least 10 new licence agreements between fiscal 2025 and 2027, with a cumulative profit contribution of $63.4-mn or more by around 2030.