Stora Enso has joined forces with Chinese battery materials giant Shanshan Technology to fast-track the development and industrialisation of sustainable battery materials, marking a significant move in the race to develop renewable alternatives for next-generation batteries.

 

The two companies have signed a partnership agreement to establish a demonstration line for lignin-based hard carbon battery anode materials at Shanshan Technology’s facility in Ningbo, China. The facility will accelerate technology development, product validation and the preparation for industrial-scale production.

 

The collaboration comes amid growing interest in sodium-ion battery technology and rising demand for sustainable alternatives to conventional battery materials. Hard carbon is a key component in sodium-ion batteries, serving as the anode material.

 

Under the partnership, Stora Enso will bring its expertise in renewable materials and lignin-based innovation, while Shanshan Technology will contribute its industrial capabilities and established position in the global anode materials market.

 

The companies aim to combine their strengths to speed up product development, strengthen industrial readiness and bring sustainable battery materials closer to commercialisation.

 

At the heart of the initiative is Stora Enso’s Lignode technology, which uses lignin derived from renewable, wood-based feedstock to produce hard carbon for battery anodes.

 

The partnership also advances Stora Enso’s longer-term ambition to establish large-scale hard carbon production in Europe, positioning the company to capitalise on the expanding market for sodium-ion batteries across energy storage and mobility applications.

 

“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.

 

The agreement represents a strategic step towards bridging renewable raw materials innovation and large-scale battery manufacturing, as the industry increasingly looks to diversify battery chemistries and reduce dependence on non-renewable resources.