Finnish-Swedish forestry company Stora Enso and Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt have announced a new partnership to develop batteries that will use forestry byproduct lignin.

Lignin is a polymer that holds a plant or tree together – it is estimated that trees are composed of up to 30% of lignin.

The companies said they are planning to create sustainable batteries using lignin-based hard carbon produced with renewable wood from the Nordic forests.

The partnership will see Stora Enso provide its lignin-based anode material Lignode, while Northvolt, which specialises in lithium-ion electric vehicle (EV) battery technology, will work to create the cell design and the production process.

Emma Nehrenheim, Chief Environmental Officer at Northvolt, said: “With this partnership, we are exploring a new source of sustainable raw material and expanding the European battery value chain, while also developing a less expensive battery chemistry.”