Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemical (Sailboat) opened a new carbonates facility in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, for business use in November 2024. This plant synthesises pure ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and has a technology obtained from Asahi Kasei and mainly employs carbon dioxide (CO2) as the basic input feed.
Asahi Kasei developed process technology in the early 2000s to produce various chemical products using CO2 as a main raw material, with the first licensee starting the production of polycarbonate using CO2 in 2002. Since then, Asahi Kasei has expanded its expertise in CO2-based production of resins and other chemicals, including carbonates.
The worldwide transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and the expanding usage of renewable energy sources are predicted to drive further growth in the demand for lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries for electric cars employ both carbonates as electrolyte solvents. Lithium-ion battery electrolytes involve the use of ethylene carbonate (EC) and the dimethyl carbonate (DMC), and CFP reduction is a massive challenge for manufacturers throughout the globe.
In September 2021, Asahi Kasei and its Chinese customer Sailboat signed a licensing agreement for process technology to manufacture 38,000 tonnes of high-purity EC and 70,000 tonnes of high-purity DMC annually. The factory may consume up to 54,000 tonnes of CO2 as feedstock per year.
