Grant supports development of zinc-based battery technology to strengthen California’s grid reliability

RICHMOND, Calif. – July 16, 2025 – Enzinc Inc., a leader in advanced rechargeable zinc battery technology, will receive $1.62 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to research and develop its innovative zinc electrode technology. The competitive award is part of the CEC’s Energy Storage Innovations to Support Grid Reliability solicitation, which will provide up to $30 million through the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program.

“As the demand for safe, scalable, and sustainable energy storage solutions grows, this award reinforces the critical role zinc-based technologies can play in ensuring a resilient grid,” said Dr. Michael Galluzzo, chief scientist of Enzinc. “Our proprietary technology enables safer, more cost-effective advanced batteries to be built using existing aqueous battery manufacturing equipment. This project will enable Enzinc to tune our formulations to handle high power or long duration energy storage use cases with the same chemistry.”

Enzinc’s project, Advanced Zn Electrode to Enable Rechargeable Alkaline Zinc Batteries for a More Resilient Grid, will focus on applied research and development to improve the value, safety, and sustainability of stationary energy storage. The goal is to develop and demonstrate affordable battery systems for various grid energy storage scenarios using non-flammable, earth-abundant materials to help California meet its ambitious climate and energy reliability goals.

This latest grant builds on a strong period of growth for the Richmond-based company. Recently, Enzinc announced it closed an $8 million Series A funding round to accelerate commercialization and expand its pilot manufacturing capabilities.

“California’s continued investment in innovative energy technologies sends a powerful message,” Michael Burz, founder and CEO of Enzinc, said. “We’re honored to be selected for this program and to pave the way for more sustainable grid-scale storage that can be rapidly deployed by leveraging existing battery manufacturing infrastructure instead of spending billions to build new gigafactories.”

The EPIC-funded initiative supports early-stage and pre-commercial technologies that have the potential to transform California’s energy landscape. Final approval of Enzinc’s grant is expected at an upcoming CEC business meeting. Enzinc previously received nearly $3 million in grants and vouchers from the CEC, including a $1.8 million BRIDGE award, CalSEED Phase I and II awards, and a CalTestBed voucher for product testing.