News Brief Summary

  • International Zinc Association officials told Utility Dive this week that as energy storage demand surges and lithium supply may face shortages in the coming years, zinc-based batteries are expected to see broader deployment.
  • U.S. zinc battery production is constrained by high scaling costs and safety standards designed for more flammable lithium-ion batteries—a conclusion from a white paper released on June 30, co-authored by Josef Daniel-Ivad, head of the International Zinc Association's zinc battery initiative. IZA Executive Director Andrew Green said in an interview that awareness and acceptance of zinc batteries among end users such as utilities need to be improved.
  • According to U.S. Department of Energy data, there are currently few grid-scale zinc battery installations in the U.S., with most capacities not exceeding 1 MW. Daniel-Ivad told Utility Dive that, with a few exceptions like Eos Energy (which plans to double capacity to 8 GWh within two years), most manufacturers are small-scale.

In-Depth Analysis

Compared with the currently dominant lithium-based batteries, zinc battery capacity is almost negligible. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence data shows that U.S. lithium-based battery deployments reached tens of gigawatts in 2025.

IZA hopes to highlight zinc batteries' advantages over lithium to persuade more utilities, independent power producers, and large or critical load users to install more zinc battery capacity. These advantages include thermal stability, a 25% longer service life, better performance at extreme temperatures, and economical recycling through mature channels—as Daniel-Ivad and his co-authors wrote in an industry "roadmap" formed after a meeting convened by IZA and West Virginia University in April.

The white paper points out that the thermal stability of zinc batteries eliminates the need for thermal management and fire suppression systems that add significant costs to lithium battery components, and combined with a longer service life, helps reduce total cost of ownership.

Green said zinc-based batteries are also more economical at maximum power discharge durations exceeding 8 hours. Daniel-Ivad told Utility Dive that some zinc battery chemistries, such as zinc-air, can provide economical multi-day storage, which energy system experts believe will become increasingly important for stabilizing grids with high renewable penetration during extended periods of low wind and solar output.

Green said the U.S.'s ample zinc mining capacity, recent or planned mine openings or expansions in the Mountain West, and the federal government's "critical mineral" designation for zinc last year mean the industry has a "first-mover advantage" in securing domestic supply.

Green added that this advantage is a strong tailwind for the industry amid U.S.-China geopolitical tensions—China controls most of the global supply chain for lithium-based battery materials and components. Some experts predict that lithium could face regional shortages by 2030 as global demand for EVs and stationary storage accelerates.

The white paper says that increasing U.S. zinc battery production to 10% of U.S. zinc demand could achieve an annual energy storage production capacity of 40 GWh while requiring only a modest increase in refined zinc imports. Daniel-Ivad and his co-authors wrote that although about 77% of U.S. refined zinc is imported, most comes from neighboring Canada and Mexico.

Green and Daniel-Ivad said more federal support is needed to expand zinc battery production and accelerate adoption by utilities, independent power producers, and other end users, starting with support for new production lines.

"This is clearly a case where more incentives are needed from the (U.S. Department of Energy) to help scale up production lines," Green said.

Daniel-Ivad and his co-authors said the DOE and other agencies should help establish pilot production lines dedicated to zinc battery chemistries. The DOE's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation and the Office of Energy Dominance Finance (formerly the Loan Programs Office) should provide grants and loan financing to support scaled production lines and establish an industry advisory council to support ongoing R&D.

Finally, the white paper says federal agencies should establish public-private connections aimed at highlighting the advantages of zinc-based batteries and making potential end users more receptive to this technology that could serve as an important complement to lithium-based batteries.

"Awareness is a big issue, (and) people are reluctant to change—they tend to do what they're used to," Daniel-Ivad said.