Australian Vanadium Limited announced the successful commissioning of its vanadium electrolyte manufacturing facility, culminating in producing its inaugural batch of high-purity vanadium electrolyte, primed for integration into vanadium flow batteries (VFBs).
This achievement follows the completion of the Facility’s construction in December 2023 and its official inauguration by Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King on 17 January 2024.
Independent analysis of the vanadium electrolyte underscores its quality, with impurities well within the limits expected by vanadium flow battery manufacturers, the company said in an ASX announcement.
Graham Arvidson, CEO of AVL, remarked on the significance of this accomplishment, stating, “The completion of the facility, coupled with the confirmation of the production of on-specification vanadium electrolyte from Western Australia’s first manufacturing facility, achieves another major milestone for AVL and is a positive reflection of the technical and operational expertise within our organisation.”
He added, “We are ready to accept orders for electrolyte and are actively pursuing sales.”
According to AVL, vanadium electrolyte serves as a critical component in vanadium flow batteries, renowned for their suitability in large-scale energy storage applications, particularly for electrical grids.
These batteries offer high energy storage capacity and extended cycle life, making them ideal for repeated charging and discharging without significant degradation.
VSUN Energy Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of AVL, is spearheading the establishment of a long duration energy storage pilot for Horizon Power in Kununurra, Western Australia.
This initiative underscores the potential for utilising vanadium electrolyte produced by the Facility to address Australia’s long-duration energy storage needs with high local content solutions.
The facility’s establishment aligns with AVL’s commitment to supporting Australia’s long-term carbon emission reduction plans. Federal government assistance in the form of a $3.69 million Australian Government Modern Manufacturing Translation grant facilitated the construction of the Facility.
Located in Wangara, Perth, the Facility is designed to produce high-purity electrolyte supporting up to 33 MWh per year of VFB energy storage, with provisions for easy expansion.
AVL employs proven electrolyte manufacturing technology licensed exclusively from U.S. Vanadium LLC (USV) in Australia and New Zealand. Vanadium oxides required for electrolyte production are currently supplied by USV.
Upon the commencement of production at the Australian Vanadium Project, AVL aims to provide comprehensive ‘pit to battery’ downstream value addition by generating vanadium concentrate at the mine site for processing into vanadium pentoxide, the feedstock for the Facility.
Samples of vanadium electrolyte produced at the Facility will undergo formal qualification by manufacturers of vanadium flow batteries.
Post-qualification, AVL anticipates commercial production of vanadium electrolyte to meet market demand, further cementing its position as a trusted supplier in the burgeoning energy storage industry.
