Eastern European events cemented the need for energy independence, including freedom from imported batteries and materials. Northvolt AB is a Swedish battery developer, and manufacturer of lithium-ion technology for electric vehicles. Moreover, it has a factory in a region where vast forests grow. It just announced a project to develop European battery anodes based on wood.
European Plans for a Wood-Based Battery Anode
European start-up Northvolt is rolling out a giant giga factory to build electric vehicle batteries for BMW, Volkswagen, and Volvo in Sweden. It is also actively developing batteries using 100% recyclable cobalt, manganese, and nickel according to Electrek.
Perhaps someone at Northvolt looked out over a giant forest of sustainable trees and wondered about using their natural polymers. However, we will probably never know. But we do know they engaged a company called Stora Enso in Finland to explore the possibility.
Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper. They would therefore appear to be a perfect partner to develop European battery anodes based on wood.
Joining Forces to Create Sustainable Batteries
The two companies have forged a joint agreement to create batteries using lignin-based hard carbon per a press release we link to below. They will source the material within Europe from renewable Nordic forests.
They intend to develop, and roll out the world’s first commercial battery with anodes entirely from raw materials in Europe. And they expect to produce battery cells that cost less, and have reduced carbon footprints too.
Lignin is a natural polymer in cell walls of dry land plants. In fact, trees comprise approximately 25% of this organic material which functions as natural binding agent. When we gaze up at trees the next time we go walking, we’ll try to remember their lignin is one of the largest renewable sources of carbon anywhere.
Stora Enso has been producing bio-based carbon materials at its factory in Finland since 2015. Its annual lignin production capacity is 50,000 tons already. We’ll therefore watch this one with great interest, and publish updates as they come in.
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