Two projects to produce more vanadium electrolyte for the growing vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) market have been launched on opposite ends of the earth.
The first, in Vancouver, Canada, will see Vanadiumcorp Resource Inc. commence a Vanadium Electrolyte Process Partnership (VEPP) at its Lac Dore Vanadium Project.
The company is in discussions with interested parties including academia, energy storage companies, government organisations, vanadium industry professionals and independent contractors, with partners announced on an ongoing basis.
The move comes as the firm aims to expand its target market by selling ‘competitively priced’ vanadium electrolyte (VE).
Adriaan Bakker president and CEO of VanadiumCorp believes the key to successful marketing of vanadium batteries is the supply of VE at the right price as it’s the largest cost component of the VRB.
He said the objective of the latest deal was to significantly reduce cost/kWh of the VRB through low cost VE production.
“Vanadium redox batteries are emerging as the technology of choice for grid storage and alternative to competing technologies with longer life cycle, superior safety, and unlimited capacity” said Bakker.
“Demand is outpacing supply and the largest high purity vanadium market in the world is located in North America.”
However, Australian Vanadium (AVL) might contend that last statement.
The company has just signed an agreement with UK-based tech company C-Tech Innovation Ltd to develop a vanadium electrolyte plant in Western Australia.
AVL is focused on the development of mining operations at the Gabanintha vanadium deposit in Western Australia as it explores opportunities within the battery storage market, especially on and off-grid applications.
C-Tech has previously worked with AVL to develop a pilot-scale electrolyte mixing plant in Perth, Western Australia.
The agreement will also allow AVL to negotiate the exclusive licence to market the proprietary C-Tech electrolyte stack technology in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.
