Energy From The Swamp: Estonian Scientists Use Peat to Make Electric Vehicle Batteries

Illustration of peat extraction in Estonia. (Wikimedia Commons/Ivo Kruusamägi)

JAKARTA - Peat, which is abundant in swamps in northern Europe, could be used to make inexpensive sodium-ion batteries for use in electric vehicles, scientists at an Estonian university say.

Sodium-ion batteries, which do not contain the relatively expensive lithium, cobalt, or nickel, are one of the new technologies battery makers are eyeing, as they seek alternatives to the dominant lithium-ion model.

Scientists at Estonia's Tartu University say they have found a way to use peat in sodium-ion batteries, which reduces overall costs, although the technology is still in its early stages.

"Peat is a very cheap raw material, it doesn't actually cost anything," said Enn Lust, head of the university's Institute of Chemistry, citing Reuters Oct. 13.

The process involves heating the decomposed peat to high temperatures in a furnace for 2-3 hours. The university hopes that the government will fund a small-scale factory in Estonia to try out the technology.

Peat Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/David Stanley)

Separately, distillers in Scotland dry malt over peat fires to flavor whiskey, while some northern European countries use peat for factory and household fuel, or as fertilizer.

When swamps are drained to mine peat, they release trapped carbon dioxide, increasing environmental problems. However, Estonian scientists say they are using decomposing peat, a waste product from traditional extraction methods that is usually disposed of.

Sodium-ion batteries using peat need to prove that the technology is commercially viable and can be scaled up, Lukasz Bednarski, a market analyst and author of a book on batteries, told Reuters.

To note, China's CATL last July became the first major automotive battery maker to unveil a sodium-ion battery.

"I think companies will increasingly try to commercialize sodium-ion batteries, especially after the announcement of CATL," said Bednarski.

Less powerful sodium-ion batteries will likely be used in conjunction with lithium-ion technology to lower the overall cost of the battery pack, he said.