ITOCHU to acquire 20.7% of issued shares of Toda Kogyo to strengthen position in Li-ion cathode materials market
28 December 2012
ITOCHU Corporation signed a capital/business partnership with materials company Toda Kogyo through which ITOCHU will own 20.7% of Toda Kogyo’s issued shares (22.1% ownership of voting shares), placing Toda Kogyo as an equity-method affiliate of ITOCHU.
ITOCHU will utilize the technological capability and production facilities of Toda Kogyo to strengthen its trade business in Li-ion cathode materials—a market expected to exceed ¥300 billion (US$3.5 billion) in 2015—and in the electronic materials business for high growth sectors such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs, as well as electric vehicle (EVs). ITOCHU will also seek to develop strategic products for new applications.
Toda Kogyo manufactures a diverse range of products based on metal oxide wet synthesis technology. These include cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, a variety of coloring materials such as pigment and toner, as well as magnetic materials such as magnetic powder material and other ferrite materials.
In 2008, Toda Kogyo licensed Argonne National Laboratory’s patented composite lithiated nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) oxide cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. (Earlier post.)
TODA America, Inc.—a joint venture between Toda Kogyo and ITOCHU—are building a new Li-ion cathode materials plant in Battle Creek, Michigan, on an 18 acre brownfield site. Construction on the $70+ million Li-ion Cathode Materials plant—funded in part by the US Department of Energy (DOE) (earlier post)—began in April 2010, and completed Phase 1 (of 2) in February 2011.
At full production (December 2013) the site will produce approximately 4000 tons per year of cathode materials, including LiNiCoAlO2 and LiNiCoMnO2.
Under the new partnership agreement, ITOCHU and Toda Kogyo will further strengthen their existing relationship by building a framework for full-scale cooperation that will include a direct assignment of human resources in addition to the existing collaborations in manufacturing and marketing joint ventures for cathode material established in North America and China.
This new capital/business partnership agreement will integrate ITOCHU’s expertise in raw materials procurement, marketing, and logistics functions based on its domestic and overseas group network together with Toda Kogyo’s technological and development expertise to expand the existing business and to promote creation of business in new sectors.
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