Zeon Corporation Begins Construction of New Plant for Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Zeon Corporation, headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is taking significant steps to expand its production capacity in the rapidly growing market for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The company has officially commenced the construction of a new plant at its Tokuyama Factory in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. This new facility aims to be operational by the year 2028 and is expected to dramatically increase production capacity to several times of what is currently possible.

The demand for single-walled carbon nanotubes is primarily driven by their applications in lithium-ion batteries, where they are increasingly recognized for their ability to enhance energy density and cycle life. Zeon aims to strengthen its presence in the expanding SWCNT market, especially within sectors such as electric vehicles, drones, and eVTOL aircraft for civilian uses, as well as industries like AI server baseband units (BBU), renewable energy energy storage systems (ESS), and automation robotics.

On August 25, 2026, a ground-breaking ceremony was held on-site, attended by dignitaries from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and Shunan City. The event saw 44 participants, including construction stakeholders and top executives from Zeon, perform a ritual for safety during the construction process. This underscores the project's importance and the community's support behind it.

Carbon nanotubes are known for their exceptional conductivity and lightweight properties. The single-walled variant (SWCNT) is particularly notable, having been successfully mass-produced by Zeon in 2015 using its proprietary supergrowth method. This first-of-its-kind achievement paved the way for the brand