Moving forward with our mission, SVP, Head of Lignode, Lauri Lehtonen visited the Automotive News Europe podcast to chat about the benefits and possibilities of using lignin in lithium-ion batteries and how it can revolutionise the future of electromobility to be as green as it promises.
Why to replace graphite with hard carbon?
It is necessary to revolutionise battery technology in order to sustainably cover the needs of energy storage in an electrified future. In ten years, the battery market is expected to grow tenfold. So, with increasing demands for electrification and rising standards of living, it’s essential that we find new and smarter technologies to meet the future.
EV batteries today require the use of graphite. Graphite is a fossil carbon which is either mined or synthetically made from other fossil-based materials. The extraction through mining is often done under less than satisfactory conditions, with social and environmental consequences. At Stora Enso, we have therefore dedicated ourselves to coming up with a solution where graphite is replaced with hard carbon from lignin.
Lignode® by Stora Enso
Lignode® is a hard carbon that is a bio-based alternative made from lignin – an existing by-product in the production of cellulose. Lignin is renewable, traceable and is already being produced in millions of tonnes in Europe – enabling the fast-growing battery business to become more sustainable.Electric vehicles are seen at the forefront in combatting climate change, but still, they have their downsides. These include the heavy environmental impact that the production of a battery pack has, making the production of most EVs more harmful than their combustion engine counterparts. Over 50% of an electric car’s carbon footprint comes from its battery: the electrified future needs sustainable development. Still, EVs are more environmentally friendly, but wouldn’t it be great if we removed the factors that are not yet up to par with the rest of the solution? Doing this, electric vehicles could act as an even more effective solution in fighting climate change.
The value and benefits of using hard carbon
In addition to fighting clime change, producing hard carbon from trees results in a better-performing material. Lignode® enables faster charging and discharging as well better performance at low temperatures. Furthermore, the raw material comes from sustainably sourced wood from certified Nordic forests, making hard carbon a totally renewable solution. All this is now available as a ready, scalable model for commercial production.These benefits and the adoption of Lignode® as a viable solution were at the core of the conversation during the Automotive News Europe podcast episode. Here are some snippets from the episode:
What is the aim with Lignode®?
“Our aim is to create a material that actually has a negative carbon footprint, the material is produced via photosynthesis and thus acts as a carbon storage in essence.” - Lauri LehtonenIsn’t cutting trees harmful for the environment?
“Great question, that is close to our heart. Lignin is a by-product that bio-refineries already produce. This by-product has traditionally been used to make bioenergy to make electricity. There is nothing wrong with bioenergy, but we would like to make the use of lignin even better. Instead of releasing carbon in the atmosphere we would like to see lignin in products that stay in the value chain for a long time. On top of that, because lignin is a by-product, we’re not adding a single tree to be cut, we are only increasing efficiency in the current system. In addition, we also grow more trees than we use.” – Lauri Lehtonen
Listen to the full story here.
The episode is also available on Apple Podcast, Google Play, and Spotify.
