Asahi Kasei Expands Planova Production with New Spinning Plant

Asahi Kasei Life Sciences plans to build a new spinning plant for its Planova virus removal filters in Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.

This will be the company's fourth spinning plant for hollow fiber cellulose membrane filters. Construction is scheduled to begin this month and be operational in January 2030. The project is funded by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Hollow fiber membranes are widely used in filtration applications such as water treatment, dialysis, and gas separation due to their high surface-to-volume ratio and efficient separation capabilities. The spinning process is crucial for producing fibers with the necessary structural and functional properties.

Spinning typically uses a phase inversion method, extruding a polymer solution (spinning dope) through a spinneret to form fibers. The spinneret uses a concentric design, where the polymer forms the outer tube while the inner fluid forms the hollow core. When the extruded fibers enter a coagulation bath (typically water or another non-solvent), the polymer phase separates and solidifies into a porous structure.

This highly controllable spinning process enables the production of hollow fiber membranes tailored to specific filtration requirements, providing a compact, energy-efficient solution for modern separation processes.

Planova membranes, in particular, are cellulose-based hollow fiber membranes, highly acclaimed in Japan and internationally for their excellent virus removal performance and protein permeability. In 2021, the company launched the next-generation cellulose membrane, the Planova S20N, and in 2024, the higher-throughput Planova FG1.

According to a report by Market.US, the global biopharmaceutical market is projected to exceed $500 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.2% from 2022 to 2032. This will drive a sharp increase in the demand for new drug development and commercialization, driving the demand for virus removal filters essential for biologics production. Given the projected continued strong market growth, Planova is well-positioned to become a global leader in viral filtration for plasma-derived therapies and biologics. The new facility will significantly increase the company's production capacity to meet growing global demand, focusing on the production of Planova filters S20N, 15N, 20N, 35N, and 75N.

"This new facility strengthens the momentum of our newly established Life Sciences business," said Yusuke Kanazawa, Head of the Bioprocessing Division at Asahi Kasei Life Sciences Corporation. "It demonstrates Asahi Kasei's commitment to strategic investment while addressing the growing global demand for viral filtration. This project is part of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Program, which aims to support the development of domestic infrastructure critical for vaccine production during public health emergencies. Through this government-backed initiative, we are strengthening supply resilience and enhancing our competitiveness in the global biopharmaceutical market."