Remote villages in Africa and Asia are receiving electricity using a little-known type of technology: zinc-air batteries. California-based NantEnergy said Wednesday it has created a rechargeable zinc-air battery storage system that can provide power at a lower cost than lithium-ion systems. By comparison, lithium-ion batteries vary in price, but often range from $300 to $500 per kilowatt hour, according to the Energy Storage Association. Zinc-air batteries are less common, and the companies that are working on them are still in the early stages, Burwen said. The NantEnergy zinc-air storage system is also being used in cell phone towers in North America, Central and Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Source: ABC News September 26, 2018 12:16 UTC