Vedanta-owned Hindustan Zinc Ltd, India’s largest integrated zinc producer, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) to jointly develop new variants of zinc materials to drive commercialisation of zinc-based batteries.
The company said in a statement that its partnership with JNCASR, a premier research institute sponsored by India’s Department of Science and Technology, marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of battery technology leveraging zinc’s abundant resource availability, cost-effectiveness and sustainable practices.
A better alternative to lithium
Lithium-ion batteries currently dominate the market, but the availability of lithium, the geographic concentration of mineral processing, and safety concerns regarding combustion pose several significant challenges for the advancement of sustainable energy solutions.
“Best of all, lithium is much more expensive (more than four times) than zinc. Zinc-based batteries are a better alternative primarily due to their longer life, cost-effectiveness, durability and proven safety track record,” the statement said.
Hindustan Zinc said that since zinc is abundant in the country, domestic development of zinc-based batteries would also help in saving the national exchequer.
Commonly known zinc-based battery chemistries include zinc-manganese, zinc-carbon, nickel-zinc, and zinc-air.
The collaboration will focus on research and development of zinc alloys as anodes for zinc-ion and zinc-air batteries, development of electrolytes for high-performance zinc alloy anodes, and design and development of chemical processes for recycling zinc metal-based batteries.
By foraying into research, Hindustan Zinc aims to accelerate the transition towards sustainable energy solutions as zinc is essential across the value chain of all critical industries including steel, renewable energy, battery storage solutions, electrical and electronic components and mobility.
“This collaboration demonstrates our important role in catering to the growing demand for alternative energy solutions by actively providing essential raw materials for the development of emerging clean technologies,” said Arun Misra, CEO, Hindustan Zinc.
