Hindustan Zinc Explores Zinc Battery Applications | Energy Transition

New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) Vedanta group firm Hindustan Zinc Ltd on Wednesday said that it is examining new avenues for zinc applications in batteries.

"Hindustan Zinc Ltd in its efforts to support the ongoing global energy transition and thrust on emerging clean tech, will explore new avenues of zinc applications in batteries," it said in a statement.

Zinc-based batteries are better alternatives to lithium-ion based batteries due to a far more stable chemistry. Zinc-based batteries are stable and hence safer unlike lithium-based batteries that are less stable and hence less safe, posing serious risks of combustion.

Lithium is a rare element in nature and is imported into India, causing a drain in forex.

Zinc is available in India in abundance through vast domestic reserves. Above all, lithium is far costlier (more than four times) compared to zinc which is much more affordable.

Zinc-based batteries offer long duration storage for enhanced battery lifespan, superior energy performance for extended usage, lower cost of ownership and ease of operations for all weather conditions. This makes zinc batteries far more versatile.

"Zinc presents a safe, stable and credible opportunity to replace lithium in batteries. We have taken the first step with our proposed partnership with US based Aesir Tech, specializing in next-gen zinc battery tech.

In addition, we are also exploring research avenues in battery technology with premier academic institutions in India," * Hindustan Zinc CEO Arun Misra said.