Zinc8 Energy Storage Closing in on Commercialization
2021 is primed to be the anchor year for Vancouver, BC-based Zinc8 Energy Solutions as it aims to be in small-scale production in 18-24 months. Zinc8 is testing the various system levels for certification, designing and running multiple demonstration projects, with each project having its own specific use case.
With the assistance of accelerator program members, they are targeting a production range of between 3-10MW to begin in Q4 2022.”We’ve achieved a great deal during the first full year as a public company,” said Ron MacDonald,” President & CEO of Zinc8 Energy Solutions.
“Our achievements will help accelerate Zinc8 on its path towards commercialization. Our new 16,000 sq. ft. testing and assembly facility gives us the much-needed space to build and run the required tests to complete the certification of the various system levels of the battery.”
Zinc8 has leased new premises comprising an initial testing and assembly facility, significantly increasing available square footage with the intention of building five batteries to complete the certification process and advancing the production schedule by establishing pilot production capability.
These batteries will be subjected to their own unique tests focusing on the performance and gathering data on specific components of the battery in an effort to complete certifications for the various system levels of the zinc-air battery system.
Highlights of Zinc8’s initiatives over the past 18 months include:
- Entered into an agreement with Australian renewable energy project developers SmartConsult.
- Announced selection to join world-renowned Rocky Mountain Institutes’ Third Derivative (D3) accelerator program.
- Announced selection as one of the nine companies to join the manufacturing-focused Scale for ClimateTech in downstate New York
- Announced its first private sector deployment agreement with Digital Energy Corp. to install a Zinc-air Energy Storage System in New York City.
- Announced its acceptance into New York City’s ACRE Cleantech Incubator Program at Urban Future Lab.
- Entered into an agreement in principle with Vijai Electricals agreeing to explore joint-venture projects concerning the deployment of Zinc8’s patented Zinc-air ESS. Additionally, the companies will explore the potential of manufacturing components of the Zinc-Air System in India.
- Announced as a winner of New York City’s Department of Buildings ‘Innovation Challenge’. The company’s Zinc-air ESS was the only energy storage solution chosen as a winner. The winners of the challenge supported for inclusion in the 2020 NYC Building Code.
- Successfully closed an oversubscribed private placement common share offering for gross proceeds of $15.5 million.
- Signed a host site agreement with the New York Power Authority and The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. The selection of the site allows for the demonstration of a 100-kilowatt/one-megawatt-hour (100KW/1MWh) 10-hour duration Zinc-air battery energy storage system in Buffalo, N.Y., to provide peak shaving capability by leveling out peaks in electricity consumption.
- Signed a $200,000 (U.S.) contract with one of the leading cloud providers to demonstrate its patented Zinc-air ESS and to validate and assess the Zinc-air storage technology. Zinc8’s technology will be tested for resilient backup application; the 10kW/80kWh unit will undergo required assessment tests agreed upon by the cloud provider to address its unique use cases in data centers.
