Nuclear equipment maker Holtec International and energy storage firm Eos Energy Storage (Eos) have formed a multi-gigawatt manufacturing joint venture to produce aqueous zinc batteries for industrial-scale energy storage applications.
The JV— named Hi-Power— will build Eos’ battery systems that will then be paired with Holtec’s SMR-160 small modular reactors to store surplus power that can be used to deliver peak demand services to the grid.
The Hi-Power plant will be located close to the Pittsburgh, US-based Holtec Manufacturing Division.
Small-scale production of the batteries has been successfully demonstrated, with large-scale production expected to begin in late November.
Holtec’s engineering organisation will also collaborate with Eos to develop batteries using the company’s Computational Fluid Mechanics and automation technologies.
Holtec will also collaborate with Eos in sales and marketing of Hi-Power produced batteries.
Dr. Kris Singh, president and CEO of Holtec International, said: “We have entered the battery industry to provide the means to store large quantities of electrical energy from nuclear, solar and other renewable energy generation facilities.”
“Although we continue to invest in our nuclear business and believe in the future of our small modular reactor program for low carbon baseload energy, we recognise that renewables must also play a critical role in reducing carbon emissions,” said Dr. Rick Springman, Holtec’s vice president of International Projects.
The Eos batteries, which use zinc hybrid cathodes and aqueous electrolytes, can operate at -15oC to 45oC without thermal conditioning, have a projected 5,000 cycle life span and operate at 100% depth of discharge.
