CarbonScape, a New Zealand-based company, is planing on expanding its graphite production to Europe by establishing a demonstration plant in Kotka, Finland. The Sunila site, leased from Stora Enso, will produce “biographite”, a form of graphite based on biomass, such as woodchip, from which carbon is converted in to graphite.
Stora Enso, which recently became a co-owner of CarbonScape, participated in an $18 million investment round to fund the project.
Since 2018, CarbonScape have been running pilot plant in New Zealand. The Finnish demonstration plant will create larger graphite samples for battery manufacturers and train engineers for full-scale industrial production. The company plans to start construction in 2025, with production targeted for 2026.
This plant is also part of CarbonScape’s strategy to establish a stronger presence in Europe and to respond to the growing demand for sustainable battery materials.
No specific production capacity figures have been disclosed. While this plant is a step toward addressing the rising demand for graphite in electric vehicles and energy storage, the rapidly increasing European demand far exceeds current efforts. Environmentally friendly alternatives like biographite are crucial, but more initiatives similar to CarbonScape’s are necessary to meet both demand and sustainability goals in Europe. Expanding these efforts is key to securing a more sustainable graphite supply.
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