Volkswagen-backed Northvolt to develop wood-based batteries for EVs

This image from 2007 shows logs and wood chips outside a Stora Enso paper mill in Finland. The firm says it’s “one of the largest private forest owners in the world.”Suzanne Plunkett | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesNorthvolt will partner with Stora Enso to develop batteries that incorporate components produced using wood sourced from forests in the Nordic region.A joint development agreement between the firms will see them work together on the production of a battery containing an anode made from something called lignin-based hard carbon. An anode is a crucial part of a battery, alongside the cathode and electrolyte.In a statement Friday, electric vehicle battery maker Northvolt and Stora Enso — which specializes in packaging and paper products, among other things — described lignin as a “plant-derived polymer found in the cell walls of dry-land plants.” According to the companies,…

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