VSUN Energy has secured a pre‑bid agreement with Sumitomo Electric as it advances its proposal for Western Australia’s flagship Kalgoorlie vanadium flow battery project.
VSUN Energy, the energy storage arm of Australian Vanadium Limited (AVL), has formalised a pre‑bid partnership with Sumitomo Electric to support its submission for the Western Australian Government’s Kalgoorlie Vanadium Battery Energy Storage System (VBESS). The agreement confirms Sumitomo Electric as the exclusive vanadium flow battery (VFB) technology provider throughout the Expression of Interest (EOI) and bidding stages.
The State‑backed project aims to deliver a 50MW, 10‑hour (500MWh) VFB installation manufactured in Western Australia, supported by up to $150 million (USD 106 million) in government funding for long‑duration storage and local industry development. AVL and VSUN Energy have already lodged their EOI.
AVL Chief Executive Officer Graham Arvidson said, “Sumitomo Electric’s involvement reflects a relationship that has been built over several years of technical collaboration and building of mutual trust… Bringing this established relationship and Sumitomo Electric’s leading technology into the Kalgoorlie VBESS process strengthens execution confidence and complements the integrated capability that AVL and VSUN Energy have developed in Western Australia.”
Sumitomo Electric’s Redox Flow Battery Division General Manager, Mr Kazuyuki Kamada, added, “Sumitomo Electric values long-term partnerships built on trust, technical alignment and shared objectives… The Kalgoorlie VBESS represents an important opportunity to apply proven vanadium flow battery technology at scale.”
Under the agreement, Sumitomo Electric will provide engineering, technology and bid‑stage support, while VSUN Energy leads the proposal. The collaboration aligns with AVL’s strategy to establish a fully integrated domestic vanadium supply chain, spanning resources, electrolyte production and battery deployment.
Image:Render of Kalgoorlie VBESS project. Credit: AVL
