Plant Waste Takes Aim at EV Plastics

EU researchers turn forestry scraps into high-performance materials for batteries and hydrogen systems

20 Feb 2026

Europe’s race to clean up transport is moving beyond tailpipes and charging stations. It is now digging into the materials that hold electric vehicles and hydrogen systems together.

At the center of that shift is BIOPYRANIA, an EU-backed research project exploring whether plant and forestry waste can be turned into high-performance engineering plastics. The goal is ambitious but clear: replace selected fossil-based polymers in battery systems and hydrogen production equipment without sacrificing safety or durability.

Funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking under Horizon Europe, the project focuses on converting biomass into advanced bio-polymers. These materials must withstand high heat, mechanical stress, and strict safety standards. In other words, they have to perform like the plastics already trusted inside battery packs and power electronics.

For automakers, the pressure is mounting. Electrification reduces tailpipe emissions, but lifecycle emissions remain under scrutiny. Lightweight, heat-resistant plastics are essential in battery housings, connectors, and control systems. If bio-based versions can match performance, they could help trim the embedded carbon footprint of future vehicles.

Hydrogen technology poses a similar test. Electrolyzers operate in chemically harsh environments and rely on tough polymer components. BIOPYRANIA aims to show that bio-derived materials can survive those conditions, opening the door to lower-carbon hydrogen infrastructure if the economics make sense.

The initiative is part of a broader EU effort to strengthen Europe’s bio-based industrial base. Several projects under the same funding umbrella are working to reduce reliance on fossil feedstocks and build new value chains around renewable raw materials.

Still, hurdles remain. Biomass supply chains must scale up, feedstock quality must stay consistent, and long-term performance needs to be proven. Manufacturers will also need evidence that these materials can slot into existing production lines without driving up costs.

Commercial rollout is not imminent. Yet as regulations tighten and climate targets sharpen, demand for lower-carbon materials is likely to grow. If BIOPYRANIA succeeds, tomorrow’s EVs and hydrogen systems may carry a little bit of the forest within them.