Imagine a battery that breathes air to work and uses common zinc instead of rare, expensive metals. It acts like a giant rechargeable sponge for electricity, holding power for days or weeks rather than just a few hours. This makes it a perfect bridge for storing wind or solar energy until it is actually needed.
Current energy storage is too expensive, relies on toxic materials, and cannot store energy for more than 12 hours. This prevents the efficient use of renewable energy for mid-term needs (days or weeks).
A lab-scale Electrically Rechargeable Zinc-Air Battery featuring a 3D porous anode, a bilayer gel biopolymer electrolyte, and a CRM-free cathode.
If you are a farm operator dealing with energy waste during peak production — this project developed a rechargeable zinc-air battery that enables storage for days or weeks. This allows you to balance power generation and demand more efficiently than current 4-12 hour solutions.
If you are a plant manager dealing with unstable power inputs for hydrogen production — this project developed a CRM-free battery system that stabilizes energy supply. It provides a sustainable mid-term storage option to keep electrolysers running steadily.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with the high cost and toxicity of critical raw materials — this project developed a biopolymer-based electrolyte and CRM-free cathode. This reduces reliance on scarce metals and improves the end-of-life circular economy profile.
Based on available project data, the system uses abundant materials like zinc and naturally occurring biopolymer precursors instead of expensive critical raw materials (CRMs), which lowers material costs.
Based on available project data, the project aims to validate the Electrically Rechargeable Zinc-Air Battery at a lab scale, meaning it is not yet ready for full industrial deployment.
Based on available project data, there is no specific mention of patents or licensing agreements; the project is currently in the research and validation phase.
The system is designed to be coupled with renewables and electrolysers to balance power generation and demand for mid-term storage needs.
The project period runs from 2023-10-01 to 2027-09-30, suggesting that lab-scale validation will be completed by late 2027.
The consortium consists of 7 partners across 5 countries, showing a strong European research base. With 4 research organizations, 1 university, and 2 industry partners (including 1 SME), the group has a 29% industry ratio, indicating a transition from pure academic research toward industrial application.
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