December 27, 2011
MES & Toda Kogyo Corp. Jointly build a facility for production of LFP for LIB
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Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (“MES” , Mr. Yasuhiko Katoh, president) and Toda Kogyo Corp. (“Toda”, Dr. Toshiyuki Toda, president) ,have concluded to jointly build a facility at Chiba Works of MES in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture for commercial production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) of which capacity is 2,100 tons/year.
The companies have jointly established “M&T Olivine Co., Ltd.”(equity ratio: 51% by MES and 49% by Toda, Mr. Hirotaka Ohashi, president and head office in Ichihara) in June with capital of \100 millions for feasibility study of commercialization of LFP and now came to increase its capital to get the company into production and sales in the market.
LFP is a most safe and secure material for positive electrode comparing with other candidates, because of its stable crystalline structure with excellent capability of quick charging and discharging, and long life. The LFP-loaded LIB is expected to disseminate widely for use in Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), Electric Vehicle (EV), as power supplies of collective housing, office, school, various business units, smart grid and for load leveling.
MES, after research & development using a pilot plant built in 2009, constructed a semi-commercial plant with production capacity of 36 tons/year to further improve the quality of products and to demonstrate a mass production. In July, MES made patent sublicense agreement with LiFePO4+C Licensing AG (Switzerland) to promote production and sales of LFP worldwide.
Toda, meanwhile, has long carrier on research and development of positive electrode material of lithium ion battery including LFP and has commercialized LMO (lithium manganese oxide), LNCA (lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide), and LNCM (lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide). The collaboration this time will lead Toda to add another positive electrode material, LFP to his business, while, MES will take a great advantage by its synergy effect.
The new facility for LFP production will start its operation in fiscal year 2012.