Brazilian conglomerate Suzano is investing in UK battery start-up Allotrope Energy to develop ultra-fast-charging batteries for electric vehicles.
The move strongly indicates the carbon for the batteries will be sourced from lignin, an abundant byproduct of wood processing. Lignin forms the tough cell walls that make trees stand up and is being touted as a sustainable alternative to fossil-sourced graphite. The process of creating battery-grade graphite from lignin is energy intensive and not particularly sustainable, but researchers suggest the addition of graphene oxide will make the carbon self-order into graphite.
Graphite, a component of lithium-ion EV batteries, is commonly made from petroleum and coal derivatives. Natural graphite has been proposed as a “green” alternative but production is energy-intensive and supply chains are problematic. Silicon is also being used as a substitute for graphite in some batteries, but the technology is not yet widely adopted. Nevertheless, Allotrope Energy’s batteries are expected to compete with synthetic graphite in lithium-ion batteries, used in electric vehicles.