Dubbed Lignode, the material is made using a pulp mill byproduct from Stora Enso’s Sunila Mill site at Kotka, Finland.
Because lithium-ion batteries are a high-tech application with potential in many markets, the innovation represents significant potential to valorize lignin.
The €30,000 prize ($33,000) prize was announced last week at Lahti Science Day. It is funded by the Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation. The award is in its second year.
“We warmly thank the Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation and LUT University for the Metsä360 award, which promotes innovations, solutions or activities aiming at increasing the processing value of our forests,” says Lauri Lehtonen, SVP Innovations at Stora Enso’s Biomaterials division. “At our pilot plant in Kotka, Finland, we produce lignin-based carbon material as an alternative to the fossil-based graphite that is traditionally used in batteries. This allows us to develop and utilize biobased chemical intermediates and forest industry by-products in a versatile way.”
Stora Enso says it will donate the money to Finnish Forest Museum Lusto.