A carbon-free world depends on the production of intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar. But storing and distributing that energy is equally important, especially as the demand to enhance the reliability and resiliency of renewable energy assets increases, particularly in off-grid communities which currently rely on diesel generators for their power needs. e-Zinc’s solution, which provides multi-day energy storage, could eliminate the need for these generators altogether. The technology is also able to operate in cold and hot climates and is made of abundant and recyclable materials.

Through VIP, e-Zinc collaborated with researchers at the University of Waterloo to develop a low-cost, safe and environmentally benign zinc-air battery which can be integrated into micro-grids with solar/wind power and is designed to deliver energy for long durations. In a world increasingly affected by climate change, having an environmentally sensitive power source is vital to help power businesses through multi-day outages caused by natural disasters such as wildfires, earthquakes, or floods.

e-Zinc has since gone on to secure a series A round of US$25 million, expanded its team to 35 staff, and has been recognized by Corporate Knights as one of the 50 fastest growing green companies in Canada.

“OCI’s support was vital to the acceleration of the R&D of our air cathode, the most critical component of e-Zinc’s technology. OCI enabled the exploration of a novel materials and manufacturing approach which has the potential to significantly increase the cathode’s performance and decrease costs.” – James Larson, CEO