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BillerudKorsnäs creates paper battery using paper machine

In collaboration with researchers at Uppsala University, basic research has been developed to be able to use ordinary paper fibres for the manufacturing of batteries. The project aims to commercialize both small- and large-scale energy storage in a paper battery.

The first production was completed this spring on the dedicated pilot machine FEX at RISE, the Research Institutes of Sweden.

“This is a big step for us, seeing a concept born in test tubes now running on a big paper machine,” says Maria Strømme, professor of nanotechnology at the Department of Engineering Sciences, Nanotechnology and Functional Materials at Uppsala University.

The battery material is now ready for commercial testing. BillerudKorsnäs continues to work on identifying possible partners in energy storage and other electrochemical applications. The next step is further product development in-house and with partners, for production on an industrial scale.

“Confirming runnability on a paper machine is an important milestone for production of the forest-based paper battery electrode,” says Lars Sandberg, innovation leader at BillerudKorsnäs. “The pilot production confirms that we can produce the material really effectively and in big scale.” 

There are several potential applications of the paper battery. One is within Internet of Packaging – that is, digitization of packaging. Intelligent and active packaging can provide sustainable solutions that create and protect products. Another application is large-scale and cost-effective energy storage in the smart grids field.

BillerudKorsnäs has eight production units in Sweden, Finland and the UK, and about 4,500 employees in over 13 countries.