Nippon Shokubai revises investment and schedule for new IONEL™ (LiFSI) plant
- Investment increased to approximately ¥43.0 billion (previously ¥37.5 billion).
- Construction to start January 2026; commercial operations now scheduled for December 2028 (previously July 2028).
- Planned production capacity is 3,000 tons per year of IONEL™ (LiFSI).
- Delay attributed to later land acquisition and higher construction/material costs, including petroleum-related products, copper and yen depreciation.
What changed
Nippon Shokubai raised the planned investment for its new IONEL™ (LiFSI) plant to approximately ¥43.0 billion and postponed the start of commercial operations from July 2028 to December 2028.
Reasons
The company cites a delay in the timing of land acquisition as the primary cause of the schedule slip. The investment increase is mainly due to higher construction costs driven by rising prices for petroleum-related products and resources such as copper, depreciation of the Japanese yen, and stronger construction demand in western Japan.
Project details
The new plant will be at Nippon Shokubai's Kitakyushu Plant on a site of about 65,000 m², with around 50 employees, a production capacity of 3,000 tons/year of IONEL™, construction starting January 2026, and commercial operations slated for December 2028. The previously disclosed figures were an investment of approximately ¥37.5 billion and a July 2028 start.
Funding and financial impact
The subsidy of up to ¥12.5 billion under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plan remains unchanged. Nippon Shokubai says the impact on consolidated results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027 is expected to be minor and will disclose any material changes if they arise.
Source: Nippon Shokubai
