Zinc-based batteries are ready for wider deployment as energy storage demand surges and potential lithium shortages threaten supplies over the next few years, according to officials with the International Zinc Association who spoke to Utility Dive this week. A June 30 white paper coauthored by Josef Daniel-Ivad, head of the IZA's Zinc Battery Initiative, argues that U.S. zinc battery production faces obstacles from high scaling costs and safety standards written for far more flammable lithium-ion batteries. The report, which arose from an April meeting convened by the IZA and West Virginia University, outlines a roadmap for expanding zinc battery capacity in the U.S. energy storage market.
The U.S. currently has relatively few grid-scale zinc battery installations operating, with most deployments hosting 1 MW of capacity or less, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Zinc battery capacity remains a rounding error compared to lithium-based chemistries, which saw tens of gigawatts of U.S. deployments in 2025, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Most zinc battery manufacturers operate at smaller scale, though Eos Energy aims to double production capacity to 8 GWh within two years. The U.S. imports about 77% of its refined zinc, with most coming from neighboring Canada and Mexico. Boosting U.S. zinc battery production to account for 10% of U.S. zinc demand would enable 40 GWh of annual energy storage production capacity while only marginally increasing imports of refined zinc, the white paper states.
Daniel-Ivad and his coauthors emphasize several advantages of zinc batteries over lithium, including thermal stability, a 25% longer service life, better performance in extreme temperatures, and cost-effective recycling through established channels. Andrew Green, the IZA's executive director, said in an interview that zinc-based batteries are more economical for maximum-power discharge durations longer than eight hours. Daniel-Ivad told Utility Dive that some zinc battery chemistries, such as zinc-air, can provide economical multiday storage, which energy system experts say will be increasingly important for stabilizing power grids with high renewables penetration during longer periods of low wind and solar output. Green also noted that ample U.S. zinc mining capacity, recent or planned mine starts or expansions in the Mountain West, and the federal government's "critical mineral" designation for zinc last year means the industry has a "head start" on securing domestic supplies.
Zinc batteries' thermal stability eliminates the need for thermal management and fire suppression systems that add significant cost to lithium battery assemblies, contributing — alongside longer service lifespans — to lower total cost of ownership, according to the white paper. The domestic supply advantage is particularly powerful amid geopolitical tension between the United States and China, which controls much of the global supply chain for lithium-based battery materials and components, Green said. Some experts predict regional shortages of lithium by 2030 as global demand for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage accelerates. The report argues that zinc batteries could fill critical gaps in the energy storage market, especially for longer-duration applications where lithium batteries become less cost-effective.
The white paper calls for more federal government support to scale zinc battery production and accelerate uptake by utilities, independent power producers, and other end users. Daniel-Ivad and his coauthors say the Department of Energy and other agencies should help stand up a pilot manufacturing line specifically devoted to zinc battery chemistries, with DOE's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation and the Office of Energy Dominance Financing providing grant and loan financing for scaled-up manufacturing lines. "This is clearly a case where more incentives need to be put in place by [the U.S. Department of Energy] to help scale up manufacturing lines," Green said. The report also recommends federal agencies forge public-private links aimed at emphasizing the benefits of zinc-based batteries and getting prospective end users more comfortable with what could be an important complement to lithium-based batteries.