Stora Enso advances wood-based battery materials with demonstration line in China

Stora Enso and Shanshan Technology have partnered to develop and commercialise lignin-based battery anode materials. A demonstration line in China will support Lignode development and Stora Enso’s long-term ambition to establish large-scale production in Europe.

Dark powder in a glass dish and a roll of black material on a laboratory worktop. — Stora Enso is developing wood-derived lignin-based hard carbon materials for battery anodes. A demonstration line to be built with Shanshan Technology in China will accelerate development and industrial-scale validation.

The companies will build a demonstration line for lignin-based hard carbon materials at Shanshan Technology’s facility in Ningbo, China. The line will enable faster technical development and validation at an industrial scale.

The partnership combines Stora Enso’s expertise in renewable materials and lignin-based innovation with Shanshan Technology’s industrial capabilities in anode materials. The aim is to accelerate product development, industrial readiness and commercialisation of battery materials derived from renewable wood-based feedstock.

Focus on sodium-ion batteries

The joint development focuses on lignin-based hard carbon materials, which are particularly relevant for sodium-ion batteries, where hard carbon is required as the anode material.

The companies aim to respond to growing interest in sodium-ion battery technologies and increasing demand for sustainable anode materials. These battery technologies are gaining momentum across a widening range of energy storage and mobility applications.

The partnership supports Stora Enso’s long-term ambition to establish large-scale production of hard carbon materials for battery anodes in Europe.

Juuso Konttinen of Stora Enso wearing a dark suit and a light shirt in an office setting. — Juuso Konttinen, SVP, Head of Growth, Biomaterials at Stora Enso, says the partnership with Shanshan Technology supports the company’s ambition to establish hard carbon production in Europe.

“Our partnership with Shanshan Technology is a significant step in advancing our sustainable battery materials business. By combining our expertise in renewable materials with Shanshan Technology’s industrial-scale anode material capabilities, we can accelerate development, strengthen our readiness for future scale-up, and support our long-term ambition to establish hard carbon production in Europe,” says Juuso Konttinen, SVP, Head of Growth, Biomaterials at Stora Enso.