Menu Close

Missouri-based Energy Solutions Company Awarded $2.5 Million DoD Contract

  • August 11, 2020

ZAF Energy Systems, an energy solutions company that develops next-gen battery technology, has been awarded a $2.5 million contract from the Office of Naval Research to develop and produce prototype scaled-up nickel-zinc battery cells. The funding is part of a subcontract from ACI Technologies, Inc. that seeks to scale up ZAF’s Group 31 batteries for potential marine applications.

“This is a key project to increase potential marine battery capacity using safe and cost-effective technology,” said Doug Crawford, ACI’s Program Manager. “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.

“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,” said Randy Moore, President and CEO of ZAF Energy Systems. “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 opened its facility in Southwest Missouri in 2017. Company executives selected Joplin, Missouri, for their expansion location due to our state’s workforce and rich history in energy solutions. Missouri is home to the global headquarters of several innovative companies in the industry, including EaglePicher Technologies, Energizer, Emerson, and Watlow.

What Next?