The two companies formally entered into a Joint Development Agreement that leverages Stora Enso’s Lignode anode material and Northvolt’s expertise in cell design, production process development and scale-up.
Lignin is a plant-derived polymer found in the cell walls of dry-land plants. Trees are composed of 20–30% of lignin, where it acts as a natural and strong binder. It is one of the biggest renewable sources of carbon on Earth.
Stora Enso’s pilot plant for bio-based carbon materials is located at the Group’s Sunila production site in Finland, where lignin has been industrially produced since 2015. The annual lignin production capacity is 50,000 tonnes, making Stora Enso the largest kraft lignin producer in the world. The company is also evaluating its first industrial production of Lignode at the Sunila site through a feasibility study.