by Greg Klein | October 19, 2020
A 100kW solar installation by SmartConsult in Queensland.
A Canadian company providing long-term Energy storage has extended its reach from New York to India, and now Down Under. An agreement in principle calls for Zinc8 Energy Solutions CSE:ZAIR to explore joint venture possibilities with Australian energy management firm Wyer Company Pty Ltd (trading as SmartConsult).
We are very excited to collaborate with Zinc8 in Australia. We have been looking for a battery solution that does not have the inherent issues that surround existing battery types with uncertain cycle life and limited longevity. The Zinc8 solution will be ideal for our large-scale industrial customers.—Luke Hardy,
SmartConsult CEO
Vancouver-based Zinc8 has developed a modular energy storage system to deliver electricity ranging from 20kW to 50MW with storage capacity extending to eight or more hours. The proprietary system stores electricity in zinc particles, avoiding the expensive battery minerals lithium, vanadium and cobalt.
SmartConsult is an energy management and analytical consultancy that has installed over 8.5 MW of solar capacity across 128 projects. The firm has also consulted on hundreds of other projects.
Some Australian possibilities for Zinc8’s system include aquatic centres, remote mines, microgrids and utilities.
Zinc8’s news follows two significant announcements from last month. An agreement in principle with Vijai Electricals has the two companies considering JV opportunities in India. Zinc8 also won an award in the New York City Department of Buildings Carbon Neutrality Innovation Challenge, a distinction that could lead to inclusion in the 2020 NYC Building Code. Zinc8 was the only energy storage system selected.
The company had already established a New York state presence last January, when the New York Power Authority chose the zinc-air system out of more than 60 competitors for a commercial or industrial demonstration facility. Under a March agreement with Digital Energy Corp, Zinc8 will install a 100 kW/1.5 MWh zinc-air storage system at a Brooklyn combined heat and power plant.
Last month Zinc8 closed a $1.4-million private placement.
Read Keeping the Lights On, an op-ed by Zinc8 CEO Ron MacDonald.
Watch an online presentation by Zinc8 Energy Solutions.
