Do you want to know more about Stora Enso?
At Stora Enso, we believe that everything that is made from fossil-based materials today, can be made from a tree tomorrow.
The pilot plant at Sunila Mill is yet another proof that this can be done. By converting lignin into hard carbon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, we can offer a product that replaces fossil-based anodes, such as graphite.
Watch our video, showcasing the functionality and benefits of making batteries more sustainable.
Stora Enso Division: Biomaterials
Products: softwood pulp, lignin, tall oil and turpentine
Annual capacity: 375 000 tonnes (pulp) and 50 000 tonnes (lignin)
Number of employees: over 150
Founded in 1938 and designed by Alvar Aalto
The battery market is expected to tenfold in the coming decade as we’re moving towards electrification across society. But with that comes challenges, since graphite is either synthesised from fossil materials or mined under less than satisfactory conditions. Lignin, on the other hand, is a renewable material and one of the main building blocks of a tree. It is also an existing side-stream in cellulose fiber production.
At the pilot plant at Sunila Mill, we are proving that we can provide the market with hard carbon at a commercial scale. In fact, we see a future potential to produce tens of thousands of tonnes of hard carbon every year, per factory.
The Sunila facility is versatile and allows for development of particular grades in collaboration with battery cell manufacturers. This means that the Sunila Mill can meet the requirements for almost any type of lithium-ion battery in the future.
Stora Enso has invested EUR 10 million in the making of bio-based carbon materials for energy storage at Sunila Mill. This fits well with a Finnish focus on supplying battery companies with materials and will help further development of the region.
Reach out to us if you are interested in collaborating on the next generation if lithium-ion batteries.
