Zinc Energy Storage is here and developers are beginning to double-down on it’s potential to compete with lithium technologies. Developer Pine Gate Renewables has signed a memorandum of understanding with Urban Electric Power to utilize 4.5 GWh of it’s Zinc-Manganese Dioxide batteries (think AA “alkaline” chemistry but rechargeable, bigger, and much longer lasting) over the next five years. This comes after Pine Gate purchased a Zinc-based grid system from Eos Energy Storage just last November. The repeat Zinc customer, Pine Gate, has 1 GW of solar deployed already and a 16GW development pipeline.
This is a big announcement for UEP to go along with its recent 1 MWh installation at the San Diego Supercomputing Center, replacing legacy lead-acid batteries (which still make up 80% of the backup power market). The company also announced in March its plans to produce a behind-the-meter battery for household use with its manufacturing partner Alchemy Industrial, and also showcased its recent installation at the EverZinc facility in Eijsden, NL.
It’s very exciting to see UEP begin making its commercial debut with an announcement this big.