What is the most effective way to make the transition to a more sustainable society? To do it without anyone noticing. That means introducing new solutions and developing new products that cost no more and have no worse properties than the previous ones - but are simply "greener". 

Anders Edling Hultgren understands this, and it is with this in mind that he founded Votion Biorefineries in early 2022. 

The company produces biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel and biochemicals. Either in its own biorefineries or in collaboration with other players in the industry.

“I previously worked at SCA for ten years, and that's where I got the idea of using the well-established pulp production process - but tweaking it a bit - to create other high-value bioproducts instead,” he says. 

Made from everything from coconut shells to sawdust and straw

The raw materials they use are residual products from the forestry, agricultural and food industries, among others. These include sawdust, bark, nutshells and straw from different parts of the world - but the range of products they can use to make bio-oils is enormous, says Anders Edling Hultgren. 

"I'm in contact with a manufacturer of coconut products who has a lot of coconut shells left over. This is something that could be of interest to us. Also rice husks for that matter, we have tested that in India and it works well. At the moment we are testing with raw materials from olive oil production."

The contact with RISE in Örnsköldsvik was absolutely essential for the establishment of Votion Biorefineries, says Anders Edling Hultgren. 

“We began our collaboration early in 2022. Thanks to their services, I was able to get started without having my own lab, while at the same time being able to be in the lab when the tests were carried out. It has been very worthwhile.”

Being there gave him ideas that he wouldn't have had if he only had access to the final results. 

"I was also able to discuss the process with the good chemists, for example what happens if you change the temperature or add other chemicals. This is something that saves a lot of time and, ultimately, money."

New plant quickly up and running 

Now it's time for Votion Biorefineries to take the next step by establishing its own pilot plant.

"It's a big step, not least financially; it's a costly investment. In any case, I feel confident that we will be able to get the plant up and running quickly once it is in place, by bringing in staff from RISE in the initial phase. They obviously know our business and have full control of our processes."

He also expects the close co-operation with RISE to continue, even when Votion Biorefineries has its own plant.

"We'll always need supplementary lab services, so it's a given that I'll turn to them again. In addition, they are a very good sounding board; we find it easy to find ways forward together," says Anders Edling Hultgren.  

Infrastructure park creates opportunities 

David Blomberg Saitton, business developer at RISE, agrees that their close dialogue has been very rewarding - for both parties. 

-"Anders is a highly qualified client, with long and solid experience. He comes up with questions and ideas that give rise to discussions about solutions that often feel innovative. It's challenging, and it's really exciting and always provides good momentum," he says. 

It has been good to be able to call in different competences during the work with Votion Biorefineries, says David Blomberg Saitton. 

"Because we are an interdisciplinary organisation, we have been able to answer different types of questions that Anders has had along the way. In addition, our well-developed infrastructure park has been very valuable. The opportunities that open up there are very difficult for a start-up company or other smaller companies to access otherwise."

As the transition to a fossil-free society continues, the need for batteries is growing. The transition is being driven by programmes such as the EU's Fit for 55, the US's Inflation Reduction Act and the EU's ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars in 2035, as well as rapid technology and market development in China. In a report from 2023, McKinsey predicts that demand for lithium-ion batteries will grow from 700 gigawatts in 2022 to 4.7 terrawatts in 2030.

Sweden is already well placed to take a leading position in the battery sector; we have access to renewable energy, well-developed infrastructure, industry and innovation systems.

"But for development to take off, other areas also need to be developed and strengthened," says Dina Dedic, researcher and programme manager for batteries at RISE. "We need to see developments in everything from securing critical raw materials and cell development to optimising performance, safety and battery recycling. And we need to ensure that we have the right skills across the value chain.

Securing access to sustainable battery raw materials

Today, Sweden - like the rest of the EU - is largely dependent on raw materials and technology from just a few countries. The EU's Critical Raw Materials Act, which was introduced last spring, is one way of securing the supply of critical raw materials in a sustainable way. But more use of recycled raw materials is also needed.

"We need incentives for circularity and recycling," says Dina Dedic. This is for environmental and sustainability reasons, but also because the supply of lithium, cobalt, manganese and rare earth elements is limited.

Today, only a few countries mine and refine key battery materials such as lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt. Mining is often associated with environmental and social impacts, while supply is limited. Much of the focus is therefore on developing new technologies, such as sodium-based cell chemistries, and recycling critical metals and minerals, although it is unclear how recycling will take place as the material value is lower. Batteries also contain materials derived from fossil fuels. In order to reduce the CO2 footprint, more of these materials need to come from bio-based or renewable sources.

"Electric car batteries last longer than the cars themselves. Throwing away old batteries is a huge waste. They should be reused or recycled. The EU is also tightening requirements on the amount of recycled material used in the production of new batteries."

Inspired by the forestry industry

The battery industry in Sweden will also have to work hard on industrial optimisation, reviewing all parts of the business to reduce waste and cut costs.

"A few changes can go a long way. Look at the forestry industry, which has been working on optimisation for many years. They have managed to create value from by-products, both in terms of energy and materials.

Even the batteries themselves need to be optimised - for their intended use.

"There is a difference between storing energy in cars - which need to be charged quickly, weigh little and provide a lot of acceleration power - and storing energy from solar power. We can also expect completely new requirements for batteries to emerge in the future as new applications develop. To ensure performance and safety, batteries need to be tested to understand when and why problems may occur. There is a lot that can be done to optimise batteries, from cell manufacturing, packs and modules, battery management systems to their actual use," says Dina Dedic.

Investment in training needed

Another problem is the lack of adequate training in large parts of the value chain, making it difficult for industry across Europe to find the right skills.

"There needs to be a major shift from vocational training to research and innovation. This is a prerequisite for building the infrastructure needed for electrification, which includes everything from electricity supply and training to policies and permitting processes.

RISE - a common arena

A major challenge for the Swedish industry today is the lack of a common arena where the industry can share information and costs.

"Many technical challenges are generic and affect most people who produce batteries or use them in their products," says Dina Dedic. "There is a lot to gain for the industry by working together. It could lead to entirely new business areas as society becomes more electrified.

RISE works with the entire battery value chain, from raw materials to recycling or reuse, and participates in research and development projects to develop knowledge in areas such as battery testing, battery materials and battery manufacturing.

"We provide training, including in battery safety, and support for safety-critical battery and electrification testing. We have world-leading battery testing and demonstration environments in the form of our Safety Critical Testing Laboratory and SEEL (Swedish Electric Transport Lab)," says Dina Dedic.

As an independent research institute with technical expertise, test facilities and strong stakeholder networks, RISE can become the arena where the battery industry in Sweden and Europe can be developed and strengthened.

"Entrepreneurs will come if there is potential in the market, but with the support of a common arena they can succeed better and faster."

Develop competitive battery technologies

Dina Dedic's best advice to entrepreneurs in a burgeoning Swedish industry of the future is to identify and develop technologies in niche applications, as well as technologies that are simply better and more competitively priced than those that can be sourced from outside Europe. She also urges patience.

"Imports from China are unlikely to be replaced, but some capacity in battery cell production would increase Europe's resilience for the future", she says.

–  It is already clear to some companies that traditional concrete sales will be difficult in just a few years' time. The big players are influencing the entire industry. There is a clear will among the country's cement and concrete producers, developers and building owners to move forward and reduce their carbon footprint. This is crucial for a real transition, says Jan Suchorzewski, unit manager for material design at RISE. 

Alternative binders and the reuse of concrete elements are expected to be part of the solution in the future. 

–  There are a number of pieces to the puzzle that need to be put in place for reusing concrete to work in the marketplace, including technical safety in processes where we lack a standard in Sweden and the EU for ensuring the quality of reused concrete elements. There are methods developed in RISE research projects, but no current requirements. In addition, we need a link between demand and supply, i.e. a market place where we collect recycled building products for sale, explains Jan Suchorzewski. 

There is a big difference between reusing products such as windows, doors, toilet seats and other construction-related products compared to load-bearing structures such as concrete frames in terms of requirements and safety. 

– To ensure the quality of the material and its properties, such as strength, fire safety, sound insulation and so on, much more information and data is needed. But there is a lot of interest in both the construction and concrete industries. There are now several large-scale examples of successful projects from ambitious players, says Jan Suchorzewski. 

Research with concrete results

A high-profile project has been carried out in Gothenburg, where RISE has been commissioned by NCC to reuse 3,000 square meters of hollow concrete slabs from the now-demolished Ikea store in Kållered. The hollow core slabs will now be part of a new housing development in another part of Gothenburg. This is after RISE has verified and tested the strength and life expectancy of the old concrete. 

– When you have experience in this kind of mission, it goes pretty fast. That's also why we believe in standardizing to reuse. At Ikea, one of the things we did was research the technical documentation from when the store was built and compare it to the actual material. We re-examined the concrete and tested its compressive strength. It turned out that the concrete was of the same quality as when it was freshly produced and had the potential to last twice as long in the new buildings. That was fantastic, says Jan Suchorzewski. 

A standard for recycled concrete is in the development stage. Hopefully as early as 2025. Jan Suchorzewski is a member of the Precast Concrete Committee at SIS, the Swedish Standards Institute. 

– We have started work on the development of a standard and quality assurance system for reusable precast concrete products. There is a draft of the standard and we will be inviting the stakeholders in the industry to discuss it as early as the end of 2024. The hope is that a consultation will be sent out next year. The standard will be in place by the end of 2025, he says.  

Alternative binders

An important part of concrete's future potential is recycling and reuse. Another is developing alternative binders to cement to make new concrete. Katarina Malaga, professor of sustainable construction with a doctorate in the chemical and mechanical degradation of stone and concrete, explains how this might be possible. 

– Cement can be mixed with fly ash or slag. This is called climate-friendly concrete. However, there are technical requirements that limit the amount of alternative materials that can be used in concrete in order to have a quality guarantee. RISE is also working to develop and verify new alternative materials that have the potential to replace fly ash and slag, which are becoming less available as the power and steel industries transition. There are applications where we need to use a cement that will give us a robust and durable concrete structure that will last over 100 years, such as bridges and other infrastructure, she says.

Research, development and collaboration are the way forward

According to the two concrete experts: It's important to research and develop relevant, quality-assured solutions together with the industry.

One example is Betcrete 3.0, led by RISE with funding from Vinnova. This initiative brings together the entire value chain for the cement and concrete industry in a broad stakeholder collaboration. Another initiative is Återhus - building houses from houses, coordinated by RISE. 14 parties are involved, including Akademiska Hus, Heidelberg Materials, NCC, the City of Stockholm, Tyresö Municipality, Svensk Betong and others.

– Within Återhus we have, for example, the Lindome area development, which is managed by Förbo. The work includes the replacement of existing buildings with new ones. Here we will make an inventory of the buildings to be demolished and get a concrete picture of the current situation in terms of which load-bearing parts can be reused, says Jan Suchorzewski. This type of practical example will be useful for the entire industry, where we are pooling knowledge and experience.  

Making innovations a reality

RISE has broad and deep expertise in concrete and cement. RISE has supported the Swedish concrete and construction industry with research, development, testing and education since the 1940s. The Nordic region's first large-scale test and demo environment for 3D printing of concrete was inaugurated in the spring of 2024. 

– We provide an open platform for collaboration, development and learning. This accelerates innovation and ensures that things go from idea to reality. We can build prototypes, test them at full scale, and also develop everything from the material to the finished product, says Jan Suchorzewski.

Both he and Katarina Malaga are positive about the future and, above all, about the willingness of the various players in the industry, large and small, to embrace change. 

– Many in the industry understand that climate concrete and circularity are the future if they want to survive, they conclude. 

See RISE expertise in concrete