In Sweden, global forest industry major Stora Enso Oyj and battery technology developer Northvolt AB are joining forces to create sustainable batteries using lignin-based hard carbon produced with renewable wood from the Nordic forests.
The companies have entered into a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to create a sustainable battery featuring anode produced from renewable raw materials sourced sustainably and locally in the Nordic countries.
The aim is to develop the world’s first industrialized battery featuring anode sourced entirely from European raw materials, lowering both the carbon footprint and the cost.
The joint battery development with Northvolt marks a step on our journey to serve the fast-growing battery market with renewable anode materials made from trees. Our lignin-based hard carbon, Lignode by Stora Enso, will secure the strategic European supply of anode raw material, serving the sustainable battery needs for applications from mobility to stationary energy storage, said Johanna Hagelberg, EVP for Biomaterials at Stora Enso.
Both companies bring key components, competence, and expertise to the battery partnership. Stora Enso will provide its lignin-based anode material Lignode, originating from sustainably managed forests, while Northvolt will drive cell design, production process development, and scale-up of the technology.
With this partnership, we are exploring a new source of sustainable raw material and expanding the European battery value chain, while also developing less expensive battery chemistry. It is an exciting demonstration of how our pursuit of a sustainable battery industry goes hand-in-hand with creating a positive impact both on society and cost, said Emma Nehrenheim, Chief Environmental Officer at Northvolt.
