Utilizing climate forest residues for improved high-power energy storage devices 

Project summary:

Beyonder aims to meet the demand of the global battery market by developing sustainable batteries without the use of rare minerals such as kobolt and nickel. Using a wood-derived activated carbon cathode enables the Li-ion Capacitor (LiC) to operate at a higher specific power and be more durable than Li-ion batteries. A greater understanding of the raw material is essential for large scale production and will allow for process continuity and product uniformity.

Beyonder and Trefadder have been awarded 2,79 MNOK from Regionalt Forskningsfond Rogaland to study different tree species, parts, and ages to identify the most promising material for activated carbon.

The main goal of this project is to understand the relation between the type and part of the tree used and the internal structure of the resulting activated carbon to improve the specific capacitance of Beyonder´s activated carbon electrode. This project will help identify which trees are the most suitable for production of superactivated carbon needed for production of LiC batteries at Beyonder.  

Beyonder´s partner in this project, Trefadder is a Norwegian company specialising in the capturing of carbon by planting new trees and climate forests. Their extensive knowledge of Norwegian plants will be important to accomplish the objective of the project.

Year: 2021

Funding: 2,79 mnok

Role: Project lead

Partner: Trefadder

Contact: Dick van de Kleut, project manager, Beyonder