In an era where battery-powered electronics have become ubiquitous, governments and manufacturers are grappling with the challenge of securing reliable mineral supplies.
Among these minerals, graphite stands out as an indispensable resource for mass battery production. However, a promising solution has emerged form an unexpected source: New Zealand, where a firm has pioneered a method to synthesize graphite using woodchips.
This innovative company claims that by utilizing just 5% of the wood byproducts generated by the lumber industry, they could potentially meet half of the global projected graphite demand for electric vehicle (EV) and power grid scale batteries by 2030.
What’s more, the process they employ not only sidesteps the need to burn or decompose this wood waste but actually removes 2.7 tonnes of CO2 and equivalents for every tonne of biographite produced.
Known as CarbonScrape, this company has already garnered significant support, securing $18 million in funding from major players such as the Finnish-Swedish forestry giant Stora Enso and the Hong Kong-based battery producer Amperex Technology Ltd. Their production method, termed thermos-catalytic graphitization, begins by producing charcoal from woodchips, which is then transformed into graphite.
The importance of graphite in battery anodes cannot be overstated, particularly the necessity for high-purity graphite, a requirement met by the biographite produced by CarbonScrape. Unlike traditional impacts, CarbonScrape’s approach involves repurposing existing waste streams, thereby contributing to a more circular economy within the realm of natural resource extraction.
CarbonScrape CEO, Ivan Williams, told Euronews, “The production of ‘traditional’ synthetic graphite uses fossil fuel-based feedstocks, such as coal tar pitch and petroleum coke, and fossil fuel-powered processes.”
“Consequently, it emits 35 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions for each tonne of graphite it produces,” he added.
Moreover, CarbonScrape emphasizes the environmental benefits of their process beyond just the production stage. By strategically locating their biographite production facilities near lumber mills or battery factories, they aim to minimize carbon emissions associated with transportation, further reducing their ecological footprint.
The recent infusion of funds from Stora Enso and Amperex Technology Ltd. Will fuel CarbonScrape’s expansion plans, enabling the establishment of commercial biographite plants in the United States and Europe. This indicates a significant step towards realizing their vision of sustainable, environmentally friendly graphite production on a global scale.
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