Zinc-Air Battery 🤯 CHEAP. CLEAN. ENERGY DENSE! Dr. Simon Clark (SINTEF)

Show notes

Let's explore the potential of Zinc-Air batteries as a sustainable and innovative alternative to today’s dominant lithium-ion technology. In this episode of Battery Generation Podcast, we sat down with Dr. Simon Clark from SINTEF, one of Europe’s leading research organizations.

Simon walks us through the fundamental chemistry behind Zinc-Air systems and explains why they are gaining attention in the quest for cleaner, safer, and more resource-efficient energy storage solutions. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, Zinc-Air batteries rely on zinc—a widely available and inexpensive material—and oxygen from the ambient air, eliminating the need for critical raw materials like lithium, cobalt, or nickel.

We discuss key advantages of Zinc-Air batteries:

• High theoretical energy density, potentially exceeding that of lithium-ion.
• Non-flammable aqueous electrolytes, making them inherently safer.
• Low material and production costs and greater environmental sustainability due to abundant resources.

However, Simon also addresses the current challenges:

• Poor rechargeability and cycle life due to issues like dendrite formation and air cathode degradation.
• Limited power output, which makes them unsuitable for high-performance or fast-charging applications.
• Slow oxygen reaction kinetics, hindering efficiency and responsiveness.