Cascading use of side streams to produce sustainable battery chemicals

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Northern Periphery and Arctic

Date of latest update: 2025-09-24

Description

Description (EN):

NPA regions are appealing to battery producers due to abundant space, primary resources, infrastructure, chemical industries, and access to renewable energy sources like geothermal and wind power. To boost self-sufficiency, reduce emissions from supply chains, create more jobs along the supply chain and enhance sustainability, there's a need to further tap into local raw materials for battery manufacturing. Silicon, emerging as a superior alternative to graphite for energy storage, offers promise. Sand as silicate mineral is a silicon source available in NPA. However, excavation of it as any mining carries environmental risks, including habitat disruption and concerns about scarcity in the future due to increasing demand in various industries. Silicon-containing compounds can be found in unconventional sources such as agricultural residues like grain husks, algae, and geothermal energy production brines. Our strategy involves maximizing the value derived from industrial and agricultural by-products by cascade processing thereby enhancing resource efficiency and minimizing waste. It creates new business prospects also outside the battery manufacturing supply chain. The objective of this preparatory project is to foster collaboration among research organizations and industries in the NPA region to enhance innovation capacity in the exploration of alternative locally available silicon-containing resources for the battery sector. This objective aligns with NPA and regional initiatives by emphasizing policies that prioritize regional innovation and growth. Recognizing the complexity of battery technology development, which requires diverse expertise, infrastructure and human resources, this transnational approach aims to prevent fragmented efforts, redundancy, knowledge gaps, and missed synergies. Additionally, it addresses supply chain resilience, mitigating risks during resource scarcity or disruptions. In this preparatory project, we perform initial screening of potential silicon-containing sources in NPA areas and preliminary evaluation of suitability as a raw material for the manufacturing of batteries. The main outcome of this preparatory project is a full application for submission under the 2021-2027 NPA programme.

Actual Achievements (EN):

The preparatory project aimed to foster collaboration among research organizations and industries in the NPA region to prepare the development plan for enhancing innovation capacity in the exploration of alternative, locally available silicon-containing resources for the battery sector. This work formed the basis for a follow-up project proposal BATTSi, which has been submitted for funding under the 5th call of the Interreg NPA programme. During the preparatory phase, potential industrial and natural sources of silicon were identified, and preliminary tests were conducted to assess their suitability for battery applications. The research explored a variety of industrial by-products, including brewer's spent grain and barley husk from the alcohol and brewing industry, geothermal brine (geobrine) from energy production in Iceland, and several natural plants such as horsetail, ferns, reed canary grass and algae. Based on the findings, horsetail, fern and barley husk exhibited high silica content. However, the lack of established cultivation and harvesting technology for the natural plants presents a significant barrier to their adoption by the industry. Consequently, for future development, the project has prioritized industrial biomass sources such as barley husk and brewer’s spent grain. These sources are advantageous because they are available in larger quantities, are readily collected in centralized locations, and are accessible year-round, making them more feasible for industrial applications. With the optimization of reduction from silica to battery grade silicon processes, these industrial sources show great potential for quicker uptake and utilization within the industry. Notably, geobrine stands out as a particularly promising source of silica due to its abundance. Although geobrine contains some impurities, it is primarily composed of silica, and with the appropriate purification technologies, it can be further refined for use in the battery sector. In addition to identifying potential resources, the project engaged in extensive consultations with stakeholders to assess industry needs and challenges related to the development and adoption of new technologies. A total of 26 stakeholders were contacted, leading to the establishment of a partnership of 16 organizations, which will work together to further develop the technology and create the core of an transnational innovation ecosystem. The broad engagement of partners has been instrumental in aligning the project with industry needs and ensuring the involvement of key expertise to support the successful implementation of the proposed project.

Thematic information

Green technologies

Priority: (VI-B_NPaA_1) Strengthening the innovation capacity for resilient and attractive NPA communities

Priority specific objective: RSO1.1. Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO1 A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity

Type of intervention: 029 Research and innovation processes, technology transfer and cooperation between enterprises, research centres and universities, focusing on the low carbon economy, resilience and adaptation to climate change

Partners (3)

Lead Partner: Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu Oy

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FI10978053

Department: Research and Development, Chemistry and Bioeconomy Team

Address: Talonpojankatu , 67100 Kokkola, Finland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.centria.fi

Total budget: EUR 39 975.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 25 983.75

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 13 991.25

Háskóli Íslands

Name: Háskóli Íslands

Department: Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 19133

Address: Sæmundargata , IS102 Reykjavik, Iceland

Department address: Dunhagi , IS107 Reykjavik, Iceland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.hi.is

Total budget: EUR 29 965.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 19 477.25

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 10 487.75

Itä-Suomen Yliopisto

Name: Itä-Suomen Yliopisto

Department: Department of Technical Physics

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FI22857339

Address: Yliopistonranta , 70210 Kuopio, Finland

Department address: POB 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.uef.fi/en

Total budget: EUR 30 056.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 19 536.40

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 10 519.60

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

University of Iceland

Cascading use of side streams to produce sustainable battery chemicals

Partners and Projects info

University of Eastern Finland

Cascading use of side streams to produce sustainable battery chemicals

Partners and Projects info

Centria University of Applied Sciences

Cascading use of side streams to produce sustainable battery chemicals

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Cascading use of side streams to produce sustainable battery chemicals

Project acronym: CASBAT

Project ID: NPA0600158

Project start date: 2023-12-01

Project end date: 2024-11-30

Project status: closed

Relevant linked projects:

SYMBIOMA (Interreg NPA project) - Industrial Symbiosis for Valorisation of Waste Biomass from Food and Beverage Industries (EN) | The project has recognized the potential for valorizing spent grain from the brewing industry, which includes husk. The knowledge gained on the availability of spent grain in NPA, its composition, and valuable products enables a more efficient generation of ideas for applying a cascade approach to extract a broader range of versatile products from this resource. (EN), AKKU (ERDF, Central Ostrobothnia) – Development of battery materials research environment (EN) | As part of the project, a prototype battery manufacturing and testing infrastructure has been implemented. This infrastructure plays a crucial role in facilitating the pre-study's ability to prepare multiple prototype batteries and assess their efficiency. This assessment is essential for estimating the potential of evaluating various silicon sources. (EN), PSiCbat (Academy of Finland) - Advanced silicon technology for Li-ion battery anodes (EN) | Mesoporous silicon (PSi) appeared to be a promising material for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). However, electrochemical etching to produce high quality PSi is slow and expensive method, and is not scalable. Barley is an effective plant to collect silicon from the soil, and it produces mesoporous, amorphous silica structures, phytoliths. Purified phytoliths were reduced to PSi. This bio-PSi was good for LIBs to some extent especially when conjugated with carbon nanotubes. (EN), LIBASS (Academy of Finland) - All-solid-state lithium ion battery with full silicon anode (EN) | Silicon is recognized to be superior anode material in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) when compared with the currently used graphite. To circumvent the material-related problem related the unstable solid electrolyte interface layer, the project introduced the concept of ‘full silicon anode’ integrated in all-solid-state microbattery where the typical liquid electrolyte is replaced with a solid polymer electrolyte. The anode was based on self-standing mesoporous silicon film (PSi). (EN), BALSA (European Commission ERA-NET Cofund, Academy of Finland) - Bio-sourced alternatives for lithium-silicon anodes (EN) | The project aims to develop a fully bio-based Li-ion battery (LIB) anode and quasi-solid-state electrolyte, in which all the active and supporting materials are derived from biological sources (plants). To achieve this goal, the project proposes combining mesoporous Si (PSi) derived from barley husk, a cellulose-based carbon nanofiber aerogel as a support, and a quasi-solid-state composite electrolyte containing poly(ionic liquid) scaffold, bio-based fillers, and ionic liquid additives. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 99 996.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 45 520.15

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 65.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 45 520.15. Co-financing rate, 65.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Report: Silicon Sources for Batteries
Stakeholder map
Project application

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Northern Periphery and Arctic

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-09-24

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

65 / 65 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

310 / 310 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Cascading use of side streams to produce sustainable battery chemicals

Description

Thematic information

Partners (3)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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