Asahi Kasei has installed its forward osmosis–membrane distillation (FO–MD) system at Japanese pharmaceutical CDMO Peptistar's active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility. The system dehydrates and concentrates liquids without heat or pressure, reducing freeze-drying time and accelerating API production. The technology addresses manufacturing challenges for heat-sensitive next-generation APIs like peptides and oligonucleotides. Traditional concentration methods risk quality degradation through heating or precipitation. Asahi Kasei's system uses osmotic pressure and vapour pressure differences across membranes to prepare high-concentration solutions whilst maintaining ingredient composition and avoiding precipitation. Peptistar is operating the system at manufacturing scale for batches up to 100 litres, evaluating it for GMP-compliant production. Asahi Kasei is studying prospects for future commercialisation as part of its Life Science growth strategy.

German battery manufacturer EAS Batteries has begun sales of its ultra-high-power lithium-ion LFP cell, incorporating Asahi Kasei's acetonitrile-containing electrolyte Acetolyte. The UHP601300 LFP 22 cell delivers 2,550 W/kg under continuous discharge, a 60% improvement over conventional electrolytes. With 22 Ah nominal capacity, the cell achieves 3,760 W/kg under two-second pulse discharge and offers 2,400 cycles at 5C/5C discharge rate. Asahi Kasei signed a licensing agreement with EAS Batteries in November 2025, with serial production starting in March 2026. The companies are collaborating on a 46xxx cell format targeted for 2026 launch, primarily designed for low-voltage electric vehicle batteries. They plan to sublicense their combined technologies to global manufacturers for mobility applications.

Asahi Kasei is delaying the start-up of its Canadian battery separator plant to 2029 or later, following Honda Motor's postponement of its Ontario electric vehicle plans. The Japanese materials supplier originally planned to begin operations in mid-2027. The facility was designed to produce 700 million square metres of battery separators annually, enough for approximately one million EVs. Honda holds a 25% stake in the project but pushed back its own Ontario EV plant from 2028 to 2030 last May. Asahi Kasei has slashed its North American EV market forecast for 2030 to two million vehicles from eight million, citing weakened customer demand. The company will supply North America by exporting separators from Japan and is exploring demand from AI data centre markets to accelerate the plant's opening.