Perth-based Australian Vanadium Limited (AVL) has been awarded grant funding to design, build and operate an Australian vanadium battery electrolyte plant and develop local vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) prototypes.
The company will use its $3.69 million in funding to fast-track manufacturing of large-scale VRFB systems that can be used to support residential power grids, or in off-grid settings such as mining, agriculture and remote communities.
The matched funding form the Government’s $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative will support AVL’s plan to achieve production of high-purity vanadium pentoxide, which is a key input to vanadium-titanium master alloys for critical steel applications and vanadium electrolyte for batteries.
This, in turn, will assist the development of AVL’s Australian Vanadium Project in the Mid-West region of WA, with the Company now in discussion with offtakers for vanadium electrolyte in addition to vanadium pentoxide.
Managing Director, Vincent Algar said the grant will help the company build and operate a commercial vanadium electrolyte plant based in WA, to support the rollout of VRFBs in Australia.
“The grant will allow AVL to produce vanadium electrolyte commercially to support the development of the long duration energy storage market, which will play a key role in future grid stability in this renewable energy generation era,” Mr Algar said.
“VRFB battery systems are easier to manufacture than other batteries, due to the use of only a single metal component, vanadium, to store the energy.
“They are ideal for accelerating battery manufacturing in Australia, using locally produced vanadium and other battery components.”
