A Paradigm Shift for Long Duration Energy Storage: Our Investment in e-Zinc
By Lisa Coca, Partner, Climate Fund
Electrification is a key pillar of decarbonization and the race to limit the rise of global temperatures and curb the worst impacts of climate change. However, electrification will only help to unlock a carbon-free energy future if there is an abundant supply of affordable clean energy, both on- and off-grid. To accomplish that, power must be captured when it is intermittently generated and stored for use as-needed for periods longer than 12 hours — which is why I am thrilled to announce the Toyota Ventures Climate Fund’s investment in e-Zinc.
Intermittency is one of the biggest impediments to increasing power generation by renewables, particularly solar and wind. Inherent fluctuations in those sources create a mismatch between power supply and energy demand. The current landscape for energy storage includes cost-effective options with capacity to support 8–12 hours of storage or less and that is where lithium-ion batteries reign supreme. However, it is worth noting that most geographies get less than six peak sun hours from solar generation, so 12 hours of storage might be sufficient to cover a limited amount of heavier-than-usual energy demand or brief service disruptions, but not a full day’s supply of power. In addition, we have all regrettably witnessed extreme global weather trends, and likely personally experienced at least one event, which created disruptions in service from one to several days.
The ability to capture power when generated and store it for use as-needed is critical. Alas, there is an innovation gap in energy storage beyond 12 hours, and that is where e-Zinc comes into play. E-zinc has successfully developed a storage system that leverages zinc as an energy carrier and enables cost-effective scaling of storage beyond 12 hours, a paradigm shift for the energy storage sector.
Based in Toronto, Canada, e-Zinc was founded in 2012 by the late Dr. Gregory Zhang, a world-expert in zinc electrochemistry. Led by CEO James Larsen, the e-Zinc team possesses deep expertise that spans renewables, battery chemistry, manufacturing and energy storage systems. It is that expertise that enabled the team to address the Achilles’ heel of long-duration storage — scaling up discharge duration, without sizing up and paying for more power. The company has designed an innovative architecture that decouples power (Watts) from energy (Watt-hours).
E-Zinc technology consists of an electrochemical cell that enables the storage of energy in zinc metal. The battery cycles between charged metallic zinc “blackberries” and discharged dissolved zinc ions. To get a visual overview of how the technology works, view the video below:
The architecture’s advantage lies in the fact that energy capacity is increased by simply increasing the volume of the cell. Moreover, the cost of a storage system on a per kWh basis decreases when storage capacity increases because the cost of the charge and discharge units are fixed. The longer the runtime, the lower the cost per energy capacity. Other benefits of e-Zinc’s technology includes zero loss of usable capacity (since it is closed-loop), long-life spans (with a 20-year target), an operating temperature range of -30C to 60C, the usage of non-flammable electrolytes, and fully reusable and recyclable components.
Given the need for on- and off-grid power sources to significantly increase the amount of electricity generation from renewable sources, it is clear that there are critical energy storage gaps to be bridged in order to obtain a decarbonized power sector — and we believe e-Zinc has the right tools to help traverse those gaps as we move towards a net-zero future. We are proud to support e-Zinc in its mission to develop the world’s most affordable, safe, and reliable long-duration energy storage product by joining its Series A round led by Anzu Partners, with participation from BDC Capital, Energy Foundry, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund and Bioindustrial Innovation Canada .
Visit e-Zinc’s website and the Toyota Ventures portfolio page to learn more.
