New York Construction Report staff writer
Zinc8 Energy Solutions (Zinc8), in the long-duration energy storage industry, will build its $68 million manufacturing facility and U.S. headquarters at the former Tech City IBM Ulster campus.
The company says it develops innovative battery technology that uses zinc and air as fuel and will create up to 500 jobs at its new site.
“Zinc8’s cutting edge, clean energy storage technology is another tool that will allow us to achieve our bold climate agenda and continue to make New York State a leader in advancing the green economy,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
Zinc8 has submitted a letter of intent to be the anchor tenant and lease approximately 237,000 sq. ft. of warehouse and outdoor space at iPark 87, which is owned by National Resources.
Over five years the company will spend $68 million to automate and build out the site as the U.S. headquarters and a major hub of manufacturing operations, research and development.
The new $100 million iPark 87 business park will be a mixed-use technology campus, and will transform the former IBM site after 30 years of stagnation.
Part of iPark87’s plan is to build a 600-unit net-zero carbon footprint sustainable residential community, powered 100 percent by renewal energy and constructed fully from sustainable building materials. The business park will also include several public amenities like pocket parks, bike and walking trails, and a wellness and arts center.
Additionally, Zinc8 announced a deployment agreement with Digital Energy Corp., a private sector engineering firm in New York State for a 100-kW/1.5-MWh energy storage system.
Zinc8 was also named a “Best-in-Class” solution in the Energy Storage Category of the 2022 PropTech Challenge, which focused on sustainable developments and ongoing efforts by the real estate industry to reduce emissions throughout the build environment.
“The historic measures taken by New York State to reach ambitious carbon neutrality goals are driving clean energy innovation and Zinc8 is committed to being an integral part of New York’s green economy,” said Ron MacDonald, president, CEO, and director of Zinc8 Energy Solutions.
