ENTEK acquires majority stake in NSG Group’s battery separator business

ENTEK a global leader in separator for lead-acid and Li-ion batteries has announced they have reached an agreement for ENTEK to acquire the majority stake in Nippon Sheet Glass' (NSG) Battery Separator business ("BSS"). 

NSG Group has been supplying battery separators for lead-acid batteries mainly in Asia, including Japan, for decades with manufacturing footprints in Japan and China. With the firm trust of the customers in its products, BSS has a strong market position in Japan.

With this strategic acquisition, ENTEK becomes the only separator manufacturer in the world producing all three primary separator technologies (PE, AGM, and lithium separators) for the global energy storage industry, ENTEK stated in an official release.

According to the agreement between the two companies, the new BSS company will own all Battery Separator manufacturing facilities in Japan and China for both polyethylene (PE) separators and absorbent glass mat (AGM). 

NSG Group will continue to cooperate with ENTEK in managing and developing BSS by holding a minority stake in and appointing a director to the board of ENTEK's subsidiary in Japan.

Both the companies plan to complete the transfer of BSS in August this year. 

"This investment is about taking care of customers and creating additional value by leveraging the strengths of two outstanding companies. It underscores our commitment to the future of the global energy storage industry," said Larry Keith, CEO of ENTEK.

ENTEK, which is already reckoned as a global market leader for PE separators in the automotive battery industry, stands to benefit from this acquisition in terms of both capacities and expanded product offerings that will help the company to meet broader customer demands and foray into newer markets. 

The latest partnership builds on the joint venture in the ENTEK NSG Separindo PE manufacturing plant in Indonesia. 

ENTEK previously announced an expansion to double capacity at the Indonesia site continues, and with the latest acquisition of a majority stake in BSS, it intends to expand its manufacturing footprint and technical offerings for customers throughout Asia.