Vanadium electrolyte: the ‘fuel’ for long-duration energy storage
Energy Storage News
Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) provide long-duration energy storage. VRFBs are stationary batteries which are being installed around the world to store many hours of generated renewable energy.
VRFBs have an elegant and chemically simple design, with a single element of vanadium used in the vanadium electrolyte solution. The supply of this vanadium electrolyte is now playing the most important role in the batteries’ market growth.
Vanadium electrolyte factory to be built in Australia, with high hopes for flow batteries
Renew Economy
Australian Vanadium will build its high purity vanadium electrolyte manufacturing facility in the Perth suburb of Wangara, as the company expects vanadium redox flow (VFRB) adoption to surge in Australia.
The factory is on track for commissioning in September this year, provided equipment ordered from the vanadium supplier US Vanadium arrives on time.
It is also on track to meet the budget expectations made in 2021 of $7.4 million, CEO Graham Arvidson told RenewEconomy.
The company has a grand plan to process the minerals mined at its yet-to-be commissioned Australia Vanadium Project at Gabanintha, near Meekatharra in Western Australia, and then turn it into the fuel its energy storage subsidiary VSUN Energy needs for its vanadium redox-flow batteries.
“The company plans to explore opportunities to replicate this electrolyte facility on the east coast of Australia, to supply additional electrolyte for VRFB projects slated to be deployed in a variety of States and Territories,” Arvidson said in a statement.
Vanadium flow battery partners sign agreement to develop gigafactory in Australia
Energy Storage News
Flow battery maker CellCube and energy storage developer North Harbour Clean Energy are in talks to build factory in Australia with 1GW/8GWh annual production capacity.
NHCE got backing from a major Australian institutional investor. That followed a deal signed by NHCE in May with Australian Vanadium, a startup looking to establish a vertically integrated flow battery business in the country from extraction and processing upwards.
Three reasons why vanadium redox flow battery technology has NOT hit the mainstream… yet
Stockhead
Vanadium redox flow batteries have shown plenty of promise over the past few years and delivered very little, however, big developments in China plus a perceived shortage of battery metals may be the spark this battery technology needs to lift off.
AVL Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Project Update
Solar Quotes Blog
A 300 kWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) earmarked for an Australian miner should be making its journey across the ocean soon – and a residential VRFB solution is still in the works.
The VRFB for this project will be utilised to power a mine process water bore pump, with a target of 100% renewable energy use in combination with a ground-mount solar power system.
VSUN strikes deal to explore redox flow battery technology
PV Magazine
Western Australian energy storage company VSUN Energy has inked a deal with aspiring renewables developer North Harbour Clean Energy which will see the two companies collaborate on the development and installation of vanadium redox flow battery projects and vanadium electrolyte supply.
Australian Vanadium signs flow battery project development MoU
Energy Storage
Australian Vanadium, a startup looking to establish a vertically integrated vanadium flow battery business, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with developer North Harbour Clean Energy (NHCE).
NHCE is focused on developing long-duration energy storage capacity at pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) and vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) sites, having identified strong fundamental market drivers for the technologies as Australia moves away from fossil fuels.
Australia’s lithium, vanadium battery value chain gets share of AU$243m government funding
Energy Storage
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced financial support for four technology sector manufacturing projects in the country, including a vanadium processing plant.
Morrison said during a speech at an industry event in Western Australia that AU$243.6 million (US$177.47 million) in funding will support efforts to establish a homegrown value chain for critical minerals, batteries and electric vehicles.
It is part of his government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative, a drive to put a total of AU$1.3 billion investment into the economy.
VSUN Energy to Install VRFB at Water Corporation Site
Battery Industry
Australian Vanadium Limited (“AVL”) has announced that its 100% owned subsidiary VSUN Energy will be installing a 5kW/30kWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) for use on a trial basis at Water Corporation’s innovation hub in Shenton Park, WA at its Water, Research and Innovation Precinct. The VRFB will initially be trialled for use on a mobile water purification unit and will provide 100% renewable power to the system via a solar PV and VRFB standalone power system (SPS).
VSUN Energy will be working with Water Corporation to test, collect data and provide suitable options for potential future use cases for VRFBs throughout Water Corporation’s operations. Of particular interest are remote pumping applications and for supplying power to remote offgrid energy loads, currently powered by diesel generators.
e-extra December 2021
energy.gov.au
Australian miner tests vanadium redox flow battery technology
VSUN Energy will install a standalone power system based on vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) energy storage technology at IGO’s nickel operation in WA’s remote Fraser Range region.