Groundbreaking ceremony for CS Energy Materials plant in Minamata, Japan

Minamata, Japan. On October 17, 2011, an official groundbreaking ceremony started the construction work for the CS Energy Materials Ltd (CSEM) plant in Minamata. CSEM is a joint venture between H.C. Starck and Japan New Chisso (JNC) Corp. for the development and production of cathode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries used to power electric and hybrid cars. The ceremony was attended by representatives from JNC Corp., H.C. Starck and CSEM as well as by government representatives.







Since the founding of the joint venture in September 2010, CSEM had primarily focused on research and development of the cathode materials and the production engineering at their sites in Goslar (Germany) and Minamata. Tested by independent institutions, samples of the cathode materials have already achieved excellent results. The plant in Minamata aims to commence commissioning by mid 2012.



“With our joint venture we are aiming to enter into the fast growing lithium-ion battery cathode material market for electrical and hybrid cars especially in Europe and in Asia,” said Axel Westerhaus, Member of the H.C. Starck Executive Board. “Our highly skilled researchers worked very hard during the past months to ensure a successful start of the plant in Minamata. We have received very positive technical feedbacks from several major clients on our material samples developed by CSEM.”



“CSEM’s principal is to supply the high quality products with reasonable price for our customers. As the next target, we make this business successful soon and aiming to expand our capacities by building up a second plant,” stated Kazuyuki Marukawa, Senior Executive Vice President of CSEM.



About H.C. Starck

H.C. Starck is a leading global supplier of refractory metals and technical ceramics, and serves growing industries such as the electronics, chemicals, automotive, medical technology, aerospace, energy technology, and environmental technology industries, as well as mechanical engineering and tool manufacturers. H.C. Starck owns 12 modern manufacturing facilities located in Europe, America, and Asia, with close to 3,000 employees worldwide. More news on H.C. Starck is available at www.hcstarck.com



Contact

H.C. Starck

Ulrike Reich

Director Corporate Communications

T: +49 89.500942.155

ulrike.reich@hcstarck.com