Zinc Battery Manufacturers Partner to Speed Commercialization
The Zinc Battery Initiative (ZBI) and its members have collaborated with experts from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and West Virginia University (WVU) to develop an effective path to commercialization for a safe and sustainable technology.
Following a first-ever zinc battery workshop at WVU, participants recommended addressing three challenges: overcoming the high investment cost of production, sourcing zinc resources ideal for different battery chemistries, and harmonizing standards for the technology. Academic, private, and public stakeholders summarized and clarified these strategies to improve efficiencies and reduce costs recently in a jointly produced white paper, called “Roadmap to Develop Zinc Batteries for Safe and Cost-Effective Energy Storage Solutions.”
COMMENTARY
Workshop participants encompassed the entire zinc battery supply chain, including zinc producers, processors, and both battery developers and suppliers. Some ZBI members, such as AEsir Technologies, Eos Energy Enterprises, Redflow, Urban Electric Power, and ZincFive already produce batteries commercially. Over the past year, AEsir, Eos, Redflow, and Urban Electric Power have secured multiple federal contracts, while ZincFive is partnering with private companies to make a battery that powers data centers, electric vehicle charging systems, and traffic signals. These companies continue to press for federal support and convincing more utilities, traditionally resistant to new technology, to work with zinc batteries.
Other ZBI members, such as Abound, Coulomb Technologies, Enzinc, e-Zinc, Salient, and Zelos, still are developing their battery technologies for large-scale manufacture and seek to reduce both the risk and investment cost of manufacturing, and accelerate both testing and manufacturing. Workshop participants discussed the prohibitive cost of building a pilot production line.
One solution, raised by DOE stakeholders, is for a national lab to build either a shared pilot line or a full-size production line dedicated to the testing of zinc batteries, as the DOE did for lithium-ion batteries in the past. Another way for the DOE to assist with the high upfront cost for startup companies is to guarantee an end-user for the batteries, whether by working with utilities, the electric vehicle charging industry, or energy-intensive manufacturers.
In addition to providing facilities for battery testing, workshop participants advocated for improved testing methods to better understand the lifespan of various zinc batteries. These types of testing scenarios typically engage batteries to more aggressive use than they would face in real-world applications and can lead to degradation and complications not encountered in practice. Developing a systematic understanding of these degradation mechanisms and their synergistic effects under various operational conditions is crucial for developing accelerated testing methods for the long-term.
Another concern for zinc battery developers and manufacturers is supply; they seek the purest sources of zinc, a critical raw material for zinc batteries, even though that higher purity also often incurs a higher cost. These developers must follow the existing standards for purity, which were designed decades ago for primary batteries and frequently are not suitable for rechargeable battery applications.
As a result of the April workshop, zinc producers, processors, and battery developers will work together to investigate both the type and quantity of impurities as well as their impact on the performance and degradation of zinc batteries during operation. The goal is to bolster supply chain reliability amid technological development and deployment efforts. One result of this collaboration may be supplier-processor-manufacturer alliances, as was recently announced between manufacturer AEsir and mining company Hindustan Zinc Limited, which has agreed to supply the zinc for AEsir’s nickel-zinc batteries.
The overall supply of zinc does not pose a concern, as zinc is abundant and globally mined, with an estimated 250 million tons in reserves and another 247 million tons already in use—and able to be recycled at the end of service life. According to a 2020 report from the International Lead and Zinc Study Group, 51 countries mine zinc, with the top five producers being China, Peru, Australia, India, and the U.S. In addition, the report finds 27 countries smelt or refine zinc, with the top five processors being China, South Korea, India, Canada, and Japan. New mines are scheduled to come online to handle increasing demand as well as compensate for retiring mines.
A third area of concern for zinc battery developers and manufacturers is recalibrating standards to accommodate the unique characteristics of zinc batteries. The existing standards are designed for lithium-ion batteries, a dominant incumbent technology that poses a fire risk and therefore requires costly and constant monitoring. A harmonized battery standard would adjust standards for applications and transportation unique to fire-safe zinc batteries and other applicable technologies. One key goal is educating insurance companies about the difference between zinc and lithium-ion batteries, resulting in lower insurance premiums for companies that opt to use non-flammable technology. Ultimately, workshop participants want to work with battery associations and regulators to ensure that zinc batteries are specified as a unique category in the United Nations’ battery transportation standards.
Smoothing supply chain issues, developing appropriate standards for testing, applications, and transportation, and providing support to de-risk and reduce the cost of building pilot lines are three essential elements outlined in the zinc battery acceleration roadmap, and agreed upon by both government leaders and zinc battery developers. Participants plan to address the three areas simultaneously, as revising standards as well as product testing can prove to be lengthy processes.
Working with the DOE, ZBI members will raise awareness and adoption of zinc batteries, as the zinc battery industry efforts to connect with a wider audience of end-users on zinc’s safe, sustainable, and successful role as an energy storage solution.
—Dr. Josef Daniel-Ivad is manager of the Zinc Battery Initiative, the voice of the zinc battery industry that serves 20 members representing a range of chemistries and applications. Dr. Daniel-Ivad, along with Martin van Leeuwen of the International Zinc Association, Vincent Sprenkle of the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Lab, and Professor Xingbo Liu of West Virginia University, collaborated to write the Zinc Battery white paper.