Can wood be used to produce sustainable battery power?

A material found in the wood of our plants is being trialled as a way to produce sustainable battery power. Finnish designers Stora Enso have built a production facility costing €10 million that will create renewable bio-based carbon by turning trees into batteries. This will be achieved by the use of a wood-based material called lignin.

Could the future of batteries be hiding under our trees?

The future of the world’s batteries could be hiding among our trees. A material found in the wood of our plants is being trialled as a way to produce sustainable battery power. Finnish designers Stora Enso have built a production facility costing €10 million that will create renewable bio-based carbon by turning trees into batteries.

Why do high-energy-density lithium-metal batteries have a short life span?

High-energy-density lithium (Li)-metal batteries (LMBs) suffer from short life spans caused by “dead” Li and dendrites. The generation of a stable, artificial solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) for spatially homogeneous Li-ion flux and rapid Li-ion transport will correspondingly solve these issues.

Can lignin be used to make wood batteries?

Apart from being one of the largest renewable sources of carbon, the use of lignin in producing wood batteries brings many benefits. Graphite has been the main source of making lithium-ion batteries used in making electric cars. For Tesla to make its annual target of 20 million EVs, it has to mine ~1 million tonnes of graphite.

Where do wood batteries come from?

The source for the wood batteries will be from Nordic forests under sustainable management. Through the partnership, Northvolt will be responsible for cell design, production process development, and scale-up of the technology. While Stora Enso will provide the wood-based anode material lignin.

Who makes lignin-based batteries?

Stora Enso is joining forces with Volkswagen-backed battery developer Northvolt to produce lignin-based batteries. The source for the wood batteries will be from Nordic forests under sustainable management. Through the partnership, Northvolt will be responsible for cell design, production process development, and scale-up of the technology.