Elon Musk\'s Battery Demand Boom Lifts Japan Supplier Tanaka

With Elon Musk rolling out electric vehicles from his California base, making electric vehicles ubiquitous, a company located around the world, deep in the battery supply chain, is riding his alarm bells.
Tanaka chemical
With a long history in developing battery materials, the company says it is increasing production to meet the surge in demand for manufacturing cathode materials.
Fukui, Japan-
The company employs slightly more than 180 people and plans to invest 0. 5 billion yen ($4 ).
54 million) the increase in production capacity is approximately 10 million tons per year.
While the investment is relatively small, the new money flowing into battery components from Tanaka may be a pioneer in the supplier\'s forecast of more spending on new electric vehicle models in the next three years, mamoru Shimakawa, executive officer of Tian Zhongshen, said in an interview.
\"As many cathode material manufacturers have invested about 2008 of their production capacity, supply is now exceeding demand,\" Shimakawa said . \".
\"The industry needs more capital investment.
We will continue to consider capital investments that are in line with our business prospects.
\"Since the beginning of this year, Tanaka Chemical\'s share price has risen by about 93%, representing a group of Japanese companies whose fate has been boosted by the prospect of electric vehicles.
Other beneficiaries of the manufacture of lithium materials or components
Including Osaka-
Headquartered in Stella Chemifa
Tokyo for lithium salt production-based W-Scope Corp.
Selling separator
Stella Chemifa is up 43% this year, while W-
The range is 29%.
Japanese Carbon Company
The price of manufacturing artificial graphite electrodes rose 82%.
Kodoshi, Japan
Manufacturers of electrical insulating paper for electrolytic capacitors and batteries have increased by 163%.
In contrast, the benchmark toppix index rose by about 5.
9% in the same period. While lithium-
From laptops, mobile phones to digital cameras, ion batteries are all there, and that\'s their main role in electric cars, just like electric cars produced by Tesla in musk.
This has shaken the supply chain.
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, electric vehicle sales will exceed internal combustion engine sales by 2038.
In addition, London-
According to researchers, lithium
Ion batteries for energy storage will reach $20 billiona-
By 2040, the market will grow tenfold.
This creates a demand for lithium materials.
Plasma batteries of lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite.
By 2030, according to BNEF, lithium demand for batteries alone will account for 172% of all lithium production in 2016.
Other battery components such as anode, separator and electrolyte are also in demand, which increases the share of manufacturers of these products.
Tanaka chemical cathode material batteries South Korea LG Chemical Co. , Ltd. and other enterprises.
And Panasonic.
Japanese manufacturers working with Tesla.
Tanaka chemical products mix nickel and manganese with cobalt, a key ingredient whose prices soared last year.
\"Japanese companies are still ahead of their Chinese counterparts in advanced chemistry,\" I-
Chun Xiao in Tokyo-
Basic analyst at BNEF.
\"Chinese companies have to import technology or licenses for wet separators and electrolyte additives, and they want to stop importing as soon as possible.
\"Chinese manufacturers must also rely on Japan and South Korea as sources of batteries --
Manufacturing machinery, according to Chopard.
\"This is another area where there is a technology gap between Chinese, Japanese and Korean companies,\" he said . \".
The progress of Tanaka chemistry tracks the development of batteries.
Founded in 1957, the company began the production of spherical hydroxide for nickel
In the 1980s S, the CD battery turned to the cathode material of the nickel metal hydrogen battery, which was used in hybrid vehicles produced by Toyota Motor Corporation.
In the fiscal year ended 3, Tanaka Chemical plans to increase the sales of lithium materials
According to shimagawa, ion and nickel-metal hydrogen batteries increased from 13,000 tons last year to 16 thousand tons.
The advantage of Tanaka chemistry is the ability to provide materials suitable for different types of clean cars, such as hybrid cars and plug-in carsin hybrids --
More than just battery electric cars, shimagawa said.
\"Our strategy is to customize our products for battery manufacturers because different areas may require different types of clean cars and battery needs will vary accordingly,\" he said . \".