European start-ups target battery gains at the nanoscale

Europe’s battery industry is under pressure from Chinese producers, but smaller technology companies are targeting specialised parts of the supply chain.

Sweden’s Northvolt and Norway’s Morrow have filed for bankruptcy, raising fears that Europe has missed another technology shift as transport and industry move from fossil fuels to electricity.

Dutch firm LeydenJar uses plasma deposition to make an ultra-thin pure silicon foil for battery anodes. The company applies the material layer by layer at the nanoscale. A single nanometre is one-billionth of a metre. LeydenJar says the approach can improve battery life, charging speed and energy density, with energy density increasing by up to 50%.

Commercial-scale production is due to start at the end of 2026, after 10 years of development. The company is based in Eindhoven, an important semiconductor centre and home to ASML.

In Delft, Powall is developing equipment for nanocoating battery powders. The granules are measured in micrometres, while the coatings are measured in nanometres and applied through atomic layer deposition. Powall says the coating can slow degradation after batteries are used thousands of times and help enable new materials.

Neither company is building a complete battery, and both have commercial relationships with customers in Asia. LeydenJar says specialised European suppliers could secure a position in the global battery supply chain. Analyst Alexander Brown cautions that China is developing local alternatives, including niche technologies, and wants to replace ASML.