Insight! 6 core competencies establish SEMCORP Group' global leadership in lithium-ion battery separators

After more than 10 years of development, SEMCORP Group now holds a leading global position in the production scale of wet-process lithium-ion battery separators, boasting the world’s largest supply capacity for lithium-ion battery separators. Additionally, SEMCORP is the largest supplier of lithium-ion battery separators in terms of global shipment volume, also holding the largest market share in the world.

Why has SEMCORP Group become a leader in the separator industry? How are its core competencies reflected? Let’s unveil the secrets today.

1. A wide range of product, energy storage drives dry-process products

Lithium-ion battery separators, as one of the four key materials in lithium-ion batteries, are widely used in power batteries, consumer electronics batteries, and energy storage batteries. SEMCORP is the supplier with the most diverse types of lithium-ion battery separator products on the market, capable of meeting customers' customized and diversified needs. It collaborates with Celgard, a leading dry-process separator company, on a dry-process separator project, setting up a production line with a capacity of 1 billion square meters in Jiangxi. The line uses the blow molding method with high technical threshold, which results in higher yields, better consistency, and thinner thicknesses.

2. Continuously expanding production capacity, increasing market share

According to comprehensive data from Japan's Yano Research, ICCSINO, and Realli Research, in 2023, SEMCORP held a 51% share of the Chinese wet-process separator market. According to EVTank’s "China Lithium-Ion Battery Separator Industry Development White Papers (2024)", by the end of 2023, the company's market share has been the highest in the market for six consecutive years. 

3. Perfecting global layout, accelerating internationalization

SEMCORP has established more than ten production bases worldwide, including two overseas. The SEMCORP Hungary site has been completed and will be operational in 2024, quickly meeting the needs of customers in Europe and other regions for lithium-ion battery separators. A U.S. project is also under construction.

4. Covering mainstream global lithium-ion battery customers

The company has entered the supply chain systems of most mainstream lithium-ion battery manufacturers globally, including overseas giants like Panasonic, Samsung, LGES, and domestic mainstream companies such as CATL, Eve Energy, CALB, BYD, Gotion, Farasis Energy, and Lishen.

5. High investment in continuous R&D, leading industry development

SEMCORP has established a unique R&D system of 1 institute + 10 sections, introducing top global talents and forming a multinational R&D team of over 500 members mainly from China, the USA, Japan, Korea, and other countries. In 2023, SEMCORP invested 727 million yuan in R&D, accounting for 6.04% of its revenue. Currently, the company and its subsidiaries have accumulated 606 patents, with an additional 264 domestic and international patents pending registration and been accepted. With its strong scientific research capabilities, new products such as 4-micron ultra-thin base film, high-temperature-resistant functional coated film, adhesive functional coated film, micro-porous self-closing high-safety separator, and semi-solid coated separator have been successively launched. Meanwhile, SEMCORP actively researches cutting-edge high-tech new materials, laying out strategic plans for semi-solid and solid-state sectors.

6.  Utilizing international advanced production equipment

SEMCORP’s core production lines for film making, coating, and slitting all use internationally advanced production equipment to further ensure the stable, high-quality supply of separators.

In the future, SEMCORP Group will build on the national new energy industry development, persist in driving development through independent innovation, and offer customers higher quality products, delivery, and service capabilities, continuously moving forward to achieve the "1139" project goals and the vision of becoming a world-class material research and production enterprise, and working hard to become a globally competitive international brand."