e-Zinc

e-Zinc is a Canadian long-duration energy storage company founded in 2012 by Dr. Gregory (James) Zhang and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. It was created to give grid operators and remote or off-grid facilities a safer, lower-cost alternative to lithium-ion batteries and fossil-fuel backup generators.

Its system stores electricity by converting zinc using a water-based, non-flammable electrolyte, decoupling power capacity from energy capacity so storage duration can scale independently of output. The technology is backed by investors including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Toyota Ventures, with pilot projects for grid resilience, remote telecom and mining sites, and a solar microgrid at an auto-parts distribution facility.

1. Zinc-based chemistry: Uses abundant, recyclable zinc and a water-based electrolyte instead of lithium.

2. Non-flammable design: The water-based electrolyte avoids the fire risk of lithium-ion systems.

3. Decoupled scaling: Power and energy capacity can be sized independently to fit long-duration needs.

4. Full discharge: The system supports 100 percent depth of discharge without capacity loss.

5. Strategic backing: Investors include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toyota Ventures and ENI Next.

6. Pilot deployments: Projects are underway in Ontario and California, including a solar-microgrid pilot at an auto-parts facility.