De Nora opens a new plant in Okayama, Japan

Milan/Okayama, 28th March 2024 – Industrie De Nora S.p.A. (“De Nora”), an Italian multinational listed on Euronext Milan, specializing in electrochemistry, a leader in sustainable technologies and the emerging green hydrogen industry, has inaugurated a new production facility in Okayama, Japan, to strengthen its presence in the country further and consolidate its position as a leading global supplier of electrolyzers.

The new plant in Okayama, inaugurated yesterday in the presence of De Nora CEO Paolo Dellachà of the local Senior Management, confirms the strategic role of Japan and Asia as the Group's production centers, serving international customers and the local market. De Nora has been in the country since 1969, initially as a joint venture with Mitsui & Co., and since 2010, with total shares of De Nora Japan. The Japanese company is headquartered in Fujisawa- one of the Group's largest and most advanced electrode production centers - and a plant in Okayama, to which this expansion is now added. De Nora thus positions itself as a highly qualified manufacturer in the country's electrochemical sector, with 2 production plants and as many R&D sites, where 360 employees work, of which the newly opened production line has created 50 new job positions.

The new area will be dedicated to producing and assembling electrolyzers intended for the main outlet markets (chlorine soda, hydrogen production, water treatment), thus meeting the growing customer demand. In detail, DSA® electrodes, made at the Fujisawa plant, will be used to construct cells and electrolyzers at the Okayama center. Okayama's already established expertise, know-how, and role as a center of technological excellence were the considerations behind the decision to expand De Nora’s presence in this area, which has also always been characterized by the availability of a flexible supply chain and highly skilled resources.

The project is part of the Group's multi-year plan for international consolidation and expansion of production capacity in anticipation of De Nora's increasingly central role worldwide. This expansion program is in full development and has recently seen the inauguration of a new electrode production line at the Group's main Chinese site in Suzhou in November 2023 and the opening of a new workshop in India in January 2024.

Paolo Dellachà, CEO of Industrie De Nora, commented: “Today we celebrate the opening of the new Okayama plant, which represents another relevant step in the Group's strategy aimed at increasing production capacity and strengthening its international reach, following the expansion of the Suzhou site in China, the opening of the new workshop in India, the ongoing expansion of the site in Germany and the expansion of the site in Ohio-USA. We are a multinational player in the energy transition that facilitates the decarbonization process through our solutions. Being able to rely on new production sites and a more direct territorial presence is key to ensuring a widespread local action and strengthening our leadership position worldwide."

Makoto Okura, president of De Nora Japan, added: “Today marks a historical day for De Nora Japan, a new chapter in the company's long journey in Japan, which began in 1969. Japan and the Fujisawa and Okayama R&D and production centers have always driven the Group's technological innovation and strategic areas for De Nora's international presence. We are proud of this expansion of the production lines in Okayama since it represents an important industrial advancement and, above all, confirms the continuous evolution of De Nora Japan".