CarbonScape and Stora Enso to build biographite demonstration plant in Finland

New Zealand-based CarbonScape and biomass developer Stora Enso have announced plans to build a biographite demonstration plant in Kotka, southern Finland. The facility aims to produce biographite, a sustainable alternative to mined or fossil-based synthetic graphite, for use in lithium-ion batteries, addressing supply chain and sustainability challenges.

Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with sample production starting in 2026. The plant will produce larger biographite samples for OEMs and battery cell makers, helping qualify products and train operators. CarbonScape’s biographite technology has been in development at a pilot plant in New Zealand since 2018.

Stora Enso, an investor in CarbonScape, closed its pulp and lignin extraction operations at Sunila in 2023 and will host the demonstration plant. CarbonScape aims to use data from the plant to support the commercialisation of biographite and its global expansion.

With graphite making up 42% of a Li-ion battery and a projected 770,000-tonne annual supply deficit by 2030, biographite could help address shortages while offering a potentially negative carbon footprint.