The ultimate location of a nickel-zinc (NiZn) battery gigafactory is just weeks away after ZAF Energy Systems drew up a short list of six US cities to build the facility in.
The new factory will be capable of producing 1.2 million NiZn batteries, or around 2GWh of production, a year.
The gigafactory will focus on the data center and telecom markets exclusively.
The company’s Kirk Plautz told BEST the list of 31 sites had been reduced to six, with the company set to announce the final location within the next 30 to 45 days.
He added that he was unable to share the selected list of six cities before the final decision was made.
The firm will build products for the defense, aerospace and medical markets in Joplin, Missouri, through its spin off company AEsir Technologies.
ZAF is the parent company and IP holding company of AEsir, which focuses on the defense, aerospace, medical and critical infrastructure markets, said Plautz, ZAF’s, and now Æsir’s, VP of marketing and sales.
In spinning off Æsir— to continue to serve the specialty markets— ZAF has granted Æsir a non-exclusive license to use the NiZn intellectual property.
Work will continue to be performed at (now) Æsir’s LRIP facility for all current and future contracts to continue to serve customers needing energy storage solutions in the specialty markets.
