The deal between India's Vijai Electricals and Canadian technology pioneer Zinc8 will be an 'important step' as the company enters the long-term energy storage market.

The deal will also cover the potential to produce components of Vijai Electricals' Zinc8 battery, which is claimed to be much cheaper than lithium-ion technology, and to have a longer lifespan than lithium-ion, the underlying technology of the current market.

Zinc8 CEO Ron MacDonald; "I am impressed by Vijai's track record in distributed energy and manufacturing, its commitment to quality, and its trusted partners in India and more than 40 other countries. This agreement is an important step as Zinc8 enters the global long-term energy storage market."

Dasari Jai Ramesh, President of Vijai Electricals: "Our manufacturing power and the advantage of India's educated and relatively inexpensive workforce are confident that this solution will go a long way to meeting the needs of long-term battery energy storage systems. For countries like India that need renewable energy systems around the clock, Zinc8 BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) is expected to meet the need effectively."

One of a new range of technologies that promises lower-cost, longer-term energy storage than Li-ion, which costs about $250/kWh, the Zinc8 BESS's capital cost is $100/kWh for a 32-hour system and $60/kWh for a 100-hour system. In comparison, Li-ion projects over eight hours cost about $300/kWh.