(Joplin, MO) – Joplin-based ZAF Energy Systems Inc. (ZAF), a developer of next-generation battery technology, announced today that it has received a contract for $2,494,032 to develop and produce prototype scaled-up nickel-zinc battery cells. The subcontract from ACI Technologies, Inc., was awarded under a prime contract from the Office of Naval Research with funding from the Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) program. ZAF’s Group 31 batteries are one of the larger battery formats and are used in many trucking applications, but the batteries need to be significantly larger for potential marine applications. This effort is intended to scale the nickel-zinc cell from its existing 150 amp hour format to achieve a scalable, higher capacity design.
Doug Crawford, ACI’s program manager commented, “This is a key project to increase potential marine battery capacity using safe and cost-effective technology. The current lead-acid cell provides less than half the capacity that the nickel-zinc will provide in the same space. As marine electrical systems expand and evolve, there is an ever-greater need for more power.”
Demand for ZAF’s nickel-zinc battery as a replacement for lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and lithium-ion batteries in key market segments is growing. Randy Moore, President and CEO of ZAF Energy Systems, commented, “ZAF’s business plan has always been to license our nickel-zinc technology to the world’s battery manufacturers as a green alternative to other environmentally unfriendly battery chemistries. As we approach this licensing milestone, we will dedicate the low-rate manufacturing capacity we’ve built in Joplin, Missouri, to specialty markets such as aerospace and defense. This contract award represents a significant step in that journey.”
ZAF is a Missouri Technology Corporation portfolio company.
About ACI Technologies, Inc.
ACI Technologies Inc. (ACI) is a scientific research corporation dedicated to the advancement of electronics manufacturing processes and materials for The Department of Defense and industry. The company operates the U.S. Navy’s Center of Excellence in Electronics Manufacturing (Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility or EMPF). The EMPF focuses on the development, application and transfer of new electronics manufacturing technology by partnering with industry, academia and government centers and laboratories in the United States in order to maximize available research capabilities at the lowest possible cost. ACI also provides training, consulting, testing, analysis, and engineering services to the electronics industry.
For more information visit: www.aciusa.org.
About ZAF Energy Systems, Inc.
Incorporated in 2011 and with locations in northwestern Montana and southwest Missouri, ZAF Energy Systems develops and commercializes next-generation battery technologies that use sustainable, non-toxic materials and can be safely and easily recycled. Its breakthrough battery technologies include a nickel zinc (NiZn) chemistry and a zinc air chemistry, both of which deliver the highest power and energy density of any battery system in their class. ZAF’s rechargeable batteries provide long-life and economical solutions in a safe package for a variety of applications, including: electric vehicles, commercial trucking, renewables integration, back-up power, consumer electronics, mobility, and recreation vehicles. Beginning in 2021, ZAF’s ongoing operations in the specialty battery markets of aerospace, defense, medical, and critical infrastructure will be taken up under ZAF’s subsidiary, Æsir Technologies, Inc. For more information, visit: www.zafsys.com
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