Toronto-based e-Zn is the only Candian company selected by The Shell GameChanger cleantech accelerator.
The company was nominated by MaRS Discovery District, and was one of four companies to be chosen after a competitive process. As part of the inaugural accelerator cohort, e-Zn is set to receive up to $250,000 in order to advance its long-term energy storage technology.
e-Zn has developed reactor technology that stores energy in zinc metal, reducing the cost of long-duration energy storage systems.
e-Zn has developed reactor technology that stores energy in zinc metal, reducing the cost of long-duration energy storage systems. The company claims it can cut expenses to as little as one-twentieth the cost of lithium-ion batteries. The storage capacity of the Zn Reactor does not degrade over time, unlike regular batteries, and does not rely on precious metals. Additionally, the reactor is fire resistant, and can operate in temperatures ranging from -30 °C to 60°C.
e-Zn was founded in 2012 by Dr. Gregory Zhang, who is the inventor of the Zn Reactor and a world-renowned expert in zinc electrochemistry.
The company will work with experts from the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Shell’s GameChanger program in order to further develop their tech.
“On the heels of a successful demonstration project in Toronto, Canada, we are excited to benefit from NREL’s immense resources to accelerate the commercialization of e-Zn’s unique technology, bringing us one step closer to a future of ubiquitous and low-cost energy,” James Larsen, CEO of e-Zn, said in a statement.