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America’s unconventional President pledged extraordinary rewards to his associates in the fossil fuel sector, yet nothing can hinder the energy transition. The US renewable energy landscape is anticipated to keep expanding this year, with strong support from the energy storage industry. In a recent development, the startup Eos Power Enterprises is ramping up production of its new Z3 aqueous zinc battery, targeting the flourishing energy storage market in Texas and other regions of the US.
What are your thoughts, is unconventional the right term? Too harsh? Not harsh enough? Share your opinions in the comments section or better yet, reach out to your congressional representatives and let them know what you think.
The Emergence Of The Zinc Battery, Hyperscale Version
Energy storage pioneers have been closely observing zinc battery formulations as safe alternatives to the flammable electrolyte used in lithium-ion batteries. They don’t necessitate an active cooling system, which streamlines the battery design. Replacing lithium with zinc and other alternatives also helps to diversify the crucial domestic battery supply chain.
The New Jersey-based zinc battery startup Eos Power Enterprises first appeared on the CleanTechnica radar back in 2013 with an advanced approach to zinc energy storage systems, aimed at overcoming some significant obstacles in the path of grid-scale, long-duration battery systems.
Last year, Eos made headlines again in CleanTechnica with a market-ready zinc solution. It was a busy year, as outlined in a 2024 recap released by Eos last week. Eos CEO Joe Mastrangelo stated that the company “launched the first cutting-edge production line into full operation, reduced Z3 costs, expanded business opportunity pipeline and orders backlog, and secured two significant financing partnerships with Cerberus and the Department of Energy.” The Cerberus investment amounted to $40.5 million, representing the final phase of a total “delayed draw term” loan of $210.5 million.
Mastrangelo further highlighted that Eos is now “rapidly amplifying its capacity growth.” The plan includes adding three more production lines to support an additional 6 gigawatt-hours of annual output. The company is also exploring a shortlist of new “Facility 2 Works” locations in several states, outside of its original plant in Pennsylvania.
Wait, What Department Of Energy Investments?
If you caught that mention of Department of Energy financing, that would be a loan guarantee of $303.5 million that Eos secured from the Loan Programs Office in December of last year. No word yet on whether Trump will attempt to retract that funding, but Eos notes that it has already secured initial funding totaling $68.3 million.
The Department of Energy loan guarantee was designated to account for the construction costs of up to four Z3 production lines in Pennsylvania. “All four lines of the project are anticipated to produce 8 GWh of storage capacity annually by 2027, or enough to supply power to over 300,000 average U.S. homes instantaneously or meet the annual electricity demands of roughly 130,000 homes if fully charged and discharged daily,” the Department of Energy noted in a press release dated December 3.
US Navy Investigates The Long Duration Angle
Eos describes the new Z3 battery as robust and entirely recyclable, capable of a 3-12 hour duration, with no moving or fragile parts, and a lifespan of 20 years. Public information on Eos’s proprietary formulation is limited, though the company does mention that the battery was inspired by zinc plating baths. “Z3 battery modules store electrical energy through zinc deposition,” Eos explains. “Our aqueous electrolyte is contained within the individual cells, creating a pool that provides dynamic separation of the electrodes.
“During charging and discharging, ions travel through the electrolyte to their respective electrode to donate or accept electrons, creating a current flow through the bipolar stack,” they add.
The battery’s proprietary water-based electrolyte is enhanced with halides, buffering agents, and other additives. The formulation is designed to maximize zinc solubility and plating, while preventing the development of dendrites, the fern-like structures that lead to battery degradation.
The California Energy Commission is among those testing the new battery. In December, Eos announced that the CEC is supporting the funding of a Z3 installation at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California amounting to 400 megawatt-hours, in partnership with the firm International Electric Power.
“This marks the second agreement and third project with IEP, a leading developer in the energy sector implementing multiple technologies, and builds on Eos’ successful previous delivery of its battery systems to a Texas-based IEP project earlier this year,” Eos highlighted.
Last week, Eos also revealed that the CEC is fully funding an $8 million order for Naval Base San Diego. “This strategic project will provide significant energy resilience to the U.S. Navy’s western fleet, enhancing operational reliability and supporting mission-critical capabilities that bolster the nation’s national security,” Eos reminded everyone.
More Energy Storage For The USA
The new zinc battery is merely one indication that the US energy storage market is poised for another record-breaking year, Trump or no Trump. Additional signs are plentiful. The legacy oil and gas firm Hunt Energy, for example, has entrusted its Hunt Energy Network branch with introducing Quidnet Energy’s new long-duration “water battery” to the Texas grid.
Another energy storage startup to keep an eye on is the emerging US renewable energy company Sunraycer Renewables. Last week, Sunraycer finalized a $200 million credit facility managed by HPS Investment Partners, supporting the company’s 4-gigawatt solar and energy storage portfolio. Like Hunt and Eos, Sunraycer is targeting the Texas market along with areas covered by the MISO, CAISO, and PJM grid networks.
Sunraycer’s offering is a development tool it calls the “Accelerant Program,” which provides financing and operational services for smaller-scale developers. “The program’s success has enabled Sunraycer to become an asset to the industrial power consumer community with an ever-growing share of large data center operators as key partners,” the company notes.
Meanwhile, up in Canada, the global firm Canadian Solar made a significant move last week. They signed a battery supply agreement with the renewables-plus-storage company Aypa Energy. Aypa is already transforming Idaho into a solar-plus-storage powerhouse. Now it has set its sights on California, where it plans to install an 806 megawatt-hour (DC) battery array using Canadian Solar’s SolBank 3.0 lithium iron phosphate batteries. Aypa will also deploy SolBank batteries in a new 998 megawatt-hour array in Texas.
As for the future of the US energy storage sector, on February 24 the US Energy Information Administration noted that the utility-scale battery storage sector added a record 10.3 gigawatts in capacity last year. They expect 2025 to surpass that level by a substantial margin, reaching 18.2 gigawatts.
“This growth underscores the significance of battery storage when paired with renewable energy, helping to balance supply and demand and improve grid stability,” EIA observed.
You could say that again.
Image (cropped): The US startup Eos Power Enterprises is ramping up production of its non-flammable, “Z3” zinc battery for long duration, utility-scale energy storage. (courtesy of Eos).
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