Stora Enso, a Finnish battery manufacturer, and Northvolt, a Finnish electric vehicle startup, have teamed up to develop a battery made from wood. To create environmentally friendly batteries, Stora Enso and Northvolt are working on using a hard carbon derivative of lignin sourced from sustainably managed Nordic forests. Scientists are working to develop the first industrialized battery with an anode made entirely from European raw materials, which would significantly reduce carbon emissions and manufacturing costs.
These businesses have agreed to work under the terms of a Joint Development Agreement to create a sustainable battery whose anode is derived from renewable raw materials sourced responsibly and regionally in the Nordic countries.
Each company provides pivotal resources, expertise, and knowledge that bolsters the partnership and, ultimately, the battery manufacturing facility. Northvolt will be in charge of cell design, production process development, and technological scaling. Lignode, an anode material derived from lignin, will be supplied by Stora Enso, a company committed to responsible forest management.
Stora Enso's pilot plant for bio-based carbon materials is located at the Sunila production site in Finland, where lignin has been produced since 2015. Stora Enso's annual lignin production capacity is 50,000 metric tons, making it the world's largest kraft lignin producer. The Stora Enso company is also planning the first commercial production of Lignode at the Sunila site, where it is currently conducting a feasibility study.
