In order to ensure power supply, the demand for zinc in rechargeable batteries will double in the next 10 years with the development of the energy storage industry, the head of the International Zinc Industry Association ((IZA)) said on Tuesday.
Andrew Green (Andrew Green), president of IZA, predicted at the opening of the International Zinc Industry online Annual meeting that the amount of zinc used in energy storage batteries would rise to 77500 tons by 2030, but only 600 tons in 2020.
Zinc is mainly used in the production of galvanized sheet, but its application in the battery industry has not attracted much attention, while other metals such as nickel, cobalt and lithium have become popular materials for power batteries.
But last week, IZA launched the zinc battery program (ZBI,Zinc Battery Initiative), is superior to lithium-ion batteries in aviation and marine applications because it is non-flammable.
IZA found that the fixed battery market as a share of zinc batteries will grow from 1 per cent in 2020 to 5 per cent in 2025 and 20 per cent in 2025.
Noting the recent cold wave that paralyzed Electroweb in Texas, Green said, "the biggest application potential of zinc batteries is in energy storage." On the one hand, there is a huge demand in a place like Texas. Local energy storage facilities are needed to support wind, solar and other power generation, and then output when needed.
"it is precisely because of the chemical properties of zinc that energy storage batteries are very suitable for zinc and have great potential for growth," he said.
