Northvolt and Stora Enso have agreed to jointly develop a novel battery anode technology using lignin-based hard carbon produced from Nordic forest wood. The approach has the potential to deliver the first sustainable, European-sourced battery anode.

Lignin is a plant-derived polymer and is a significant source of carbon. Trees are composed of 20-30% lignin providing a cheap and renewable source for industrial use. Stora Enso’s Sunila production site in Finland has a production capacity of 50,000tpy of kraft lignin that is used to produce its lignin-based anode material Lignode. If the technology proves effective, this would provide a significant alternative to imported spherical graphite for EU battery production.

With world graphite anode supply chains dominated by China, alternative anode technologies could form an important part of supply chain security for European and US-based lithium-ion battery production. New technologies will play a central role in driving reductions in raw material costs and increased sustainability in battery production.