Zinc-air batteries spark vision of cheaper energy

NEW YORK — Remote villages in Africa and Asia are receiving electricity using a little-known type of technology: zinc-air batteries.

The goal is to provide a battery that can capture renewable energy and store it for later use.

California-based NantEnergy said last week it has created a rechargeable zinc-air battery storage system that can provide power at a lower cost than lithium-ion systems.

The technology has been deployed in more than 110 villages serving 200,000 people who have no other access to electricity in their communities, NantEnergy Chairman Patrick Soon-Shiong said.

“If you look at a map of Earth at night and you see where it’s darkest, it’s in Africa, Asia and developing countries,” said Soon-Shiong, also the owner of the Los Angeles Times. “To reduce cost and be competitive with fossil fuels is critical.”

Companies are working to develop alternatives to lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries commonly used for energy storage, aiming to create a product that’s cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

NantEnergy said its zinc-air battery system can deliver energy for $100 per kilowatt hour.

“Today the only batteries that are in that price range are lead-acid batteries,” said Ramkumar Krishnan, chief technology officer of NantEnergy.

By comparison, lithiumion batteries vary in price but often range from $300 to $500 per kilowatt hour, according to the Energy Storage Association.

Companies such as Tesla have been pushing to lower battery prices into the $100 to $200 per kilowatt hour range.

“If this is true, it would be great,” Jay Whitacre, director of the Wilson E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University, said of NantEnergy’s efforts.

“If these guys even get close to this price point of $100 per kilowatt hour it is exciting and disruptive. If you can get to that, what you end up with is a technology that is really economical and can be used in many ways.”

Whitacre said he would like to see data on how the batteries have performed to assess the impact of what the company achieved.

“It’s not just how much it costs when you buy it, it’s how long it lasts,” Whitacre added.

“I have no reason to think that it doesn’t work, but I also would need to see some evidence to support these claims. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary support.”

Krishnan did not immediately provide performance data on the batteries to support NantEnergy’s claims.

The company is deploying its batteries to remote villages to establish “microgrids,” which are localized power sources that distribute energy to homes, communities and businesses without being connected to a traditional utility’s electric grid.

The microgrids are powered by solar panels that capture energy from the sun when it is shining.

Electricity from the solar panels is used to separate zinc oxide into zinc and oxygen, and the zinc generated in the process stores energy that can be used when it is dark or cloudy.

The batteries are rechargeable and are designed to hold a charge for up to a few days, Krishnan said.