Australian Vanadium Limited has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for engineering group Primero Group to undertake the construction of the firm’s vanadium electrolyte facility in Western Australia.
In an ASX announcement, AVL said the facility is designed to produce up to 33MWh per year of vanadium flow battery (VFB) high-purity electrolyte.
The company has also hired seasoned operations professional Simon Rough to oversee the facility’s construction and transition into production.
AVL said Simon’s significant experience in vanadium processing and sulphuric acid manufacturing makes him an ideal leader for the team to successfully produce high-quality electrolyte.
Graham Arvidson, AVL CEO, expressed his delight to see the team’s efforts as AVL’s vanadium electrolyte production plant begins to take shape.
“We are pleased to have welcomed Simon onboard to manage the facility and work with the existing team, utilising in-house electrolyte knowledge and relationships that have been built with companies such as USV and VFB manufacturers,” the CEO stated.
For Australia and New Zealand, AVL is the sole licensee of U.S. Vanadium LLC’s process technology for the production of vanadium electrolytes.
AVL said the manufacturing plant for vanadium electrolyte, which is being constructed in the Wangara suburb in northern Perth, was designed using this technique.
In collaboration with Primero Group, AVL created the facility design to adhere to Australian regulations and specifications.
Vanadium oxide feedstock for the electrolyte facility will be sourced through AVL’s arrangement with USV and other sources until vanadium oxides are produced at its Midwest Processing Hub.
In 2021, AVL was awarded a $3.69 million Federal Government grant, with a portion of the money going towards the construction and operation of a commercial vanadium electrolyte manufacturing plant in Western Australia to help with the commercialisation of VFBs.
AVL said it plans to develop vanadium electrolyte for commercial use in VFBs by November 2023 and is in the process of negotiating offtake agreements for the finished product.
