Australian Vanadium Limited (AVL) has secured grant funding to design, build and operate a vanadium battery electrolyte plant and develop vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) prototypes in Australia.
The AUD$3.9 million ($2.8 million) match-funding grant was awarded under the Australian government’s Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing National Manufacturing Priority roadmap.
The grant will help AVL establish a high-purity processing circuit to produce battery, chemical and master-alloy grade vanadium pentoxide; build and operate a commercial vanadium electrolyte plant based in Western Australia to support the rollout of vanadium redox flow batteries; and manufacture prototype/demonstration residential and stand-alone VRFB power systems for the Australian markets.
The company is in discussion with offtakers for vanadium electrolyte in addition to vanadium pentoxide.
AVL managing director, Vincent Algar, said the grant would allow AVL to produce vanadium electrolyte commercially to support the development of the long-duration energy storage market, which would play a key role in future grid stability.
The grant will also allow AVL to finalise its high-purity vanadium pentoxide processing route, manufacture vanadium electrolyte and manufacture prototypes of residential VRFB.
AVL plans to supply vanadium materials to VRFB projects in Australia and in the Asia Pacific Region.
The electrolyte plant will be the first and only plant of its type in the region when fully completed by 31 March, 2024.
