GreenBattery

Energy storage is an increasingly growing research area and electrical energy storage systems are in great need because of the rapid expansion of digital appliances, portable electronics, electric vehicles, etc. Batteries are one type of energy storage system with increased demand in recent years. 

Due to the increased demand for batteries, several Gigafactories are being built in Europe. Unfortunately, these are not yet following the principles of sustainability set by EU, because harmful or even toxic compounds are used in cell assembling, and active electrode material contains critical raw materials. The project aimed to develop a prototype of a biobased battery by using residual products from the forest industry, such as (hydrolysis) lignin, bio sludge, fiber sludge, bark, ash, and filter dust.

The project used (waste) biomass to replace fossil-based elements or toxic compounds in batteries. During cell assembly, specific focus was placed on the durability of the battery cell lines to meet the criteria for the green transition at the EU level.

RISE's role in the project was to develop bio-based battery components with high ionic conductivity and good compatibility with other components. For the project, RISE produced crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) from various industrial side streams (e.g. fiber rejects), which was used in the new bio-based components.

RISE also carried out techno-economic analyses to evaluate techno-economic parameters and compare bio-based batteries with traditional lithium batteries.