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Adoption, Deals, and Tech
Clarios Lands $48.5M Lead-Acid U.S. Military Contract
Lead-acid (and other technology) manufacturer Clarios has been awarded a $48.5M million, 3-year contract to manufacture its 6-volt and 12-volt storage batteries to the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The contract follows a similar, separate $46.8M contract signed with the U.S. military in January. Story in BizTimes.
East Penn’s Massive Site Expansion
Lead-acid manufacturer East Penn has announced a $110M, 175,000 square foot (53,340 square meter) addition to its 393,000 square foot facility in Temple, Texas. The facility is also adding 48 new jobs. Details in Fox44 News.
ZincFive Hits 2 GW Milestone
Nickel-zinc leader ZincFive has surpassed 2 GW of power delivered or contracted globally. That momentum is pushed by the company’s BC Series designed to support traditional backup and AI-driven dynamic power environments; as well as its NiZn Retrofit Kit for existing infrastructure. Read the announcement.
Ore Energy Completes Kansen voor West III Project
Major iron-air player Ore Energy has completed its project supported by the Kansen voor West III (EFRO) program, a sustainability-based EU regional innovation fund. See details on the achievement on Ore’s LinkedIn.
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Aqueous Deep Dives
Wood Mackenzie: LDES’s Vanadium-Boosted Growth
Wood Mackenzie reports that global LDES installations saw a 49% year-on-year increase in 2025 – topping 15 GWh that year. VRFBs accounted for 21% of LDES installations in 2025. Read the outlook overview.
Form CEO: “The Hardest Problems Attract the Best People.”Â
On a recent episode of the Giant Ideas podcast, Form Energy CEO Mateo Jaramillo talks about the iron-air juggernaut’s path from early R&D to recent commercial momentum with partners like Xcel Energy, Google, FuturEnergy Ireland, and Crusoe — and what makes it a magnet for top talent. Catch the episode.
What the Zinc Industry Needs Next
The International Zinc Association shares its top proposals that emerge from its recent Zinc Battery Workshop. These ideas include creating a working group to address materials needs, industry self-regulating standards, and increased affordable access to pilot lines. Read the recap – and see photos of the event – on LinkedIn.
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Mark Your Calendars
📆 Get a head start on 2026 planning with our Aqueous Energy Events Calendar in our December 29th Aqueous Battery Brief.
đź“Ś Two events in particular to keep in mind:
- Octet will be speaking at the BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo, May 3 – 6.
- EverZinc’s 4th R-Zinc conference, May 6 – 7. Use the code discount26RZinc during checkout. Details & registration.
Who’s Hiring
Seeking a new role — or know someone who is? Start with the quick links to aqueous firms’ open roles pages and specific roles below.
👩‍🔬 Open Roles Pages (Multiple Roles)
👨‍🔬 Specific Openings
- Æsir Technologies is looking to fill multiple engineering roles. Interested candidates should send resumes to Æsir’s Employment Page.
- Quino Energy:Â Sales Engineer
- Urban Electric Power: Mechanical Engineer — Battery Cell & Module Development
Have a specific open position you’d like to highlight? Send us an e-mail.
Octet Case Study: $7.5M in Projected Savings
Read how Octet identified a path to 10% greater round-trip efficiency
by testing 30+ electrolyte additives.