A collaboration has been formed between Australian minerals company, a Japanese manufacturer, and the Australian arm of a Japanese resources and energy company to create an integrated manufacturing supply chain for vanadium flow batteries in north Queensland.
The agreement entails the development of a comprehensive supply chain spanning from mining to energy storage for vanadium flow batteries. Under this arrangement, the Japanese company will handle marketing, sales, and delivery of vanadium flow batteries to Australian customers, utilizing battery hardware from another Japanese manufacturer and electrolyte produced by the Australian minerals company from vanadium mined at its Debella Critical Minerals Project in western Queensland.
The electrolyte production will take place at the Australian minerals company’s facility in Townsville, Queensland, with final battery assembly to occur at customer sites. Plans are underway to expand the production capacity with a new commercial plant anticipated to be operational by 2026 to meet the increasing global demand for vanadium flow batteries.
The Managing Director of the Australian minerals company emphasized the growing demand for vanadium flow batteries as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries, citing numerous ongoing projects globally. The involvement of the Japanese company in marketing and deploying these batteries underscores the significant opportunity presented by the growing demand for renewable energy storage solutions.
The CEO of the Australian arm of the Japanese resources and energy company highlighted the strategic importance of participating in the complete vanadium flow battery manufacturing supply chain to capitalize on the increasing global demand for renewable energy storage.
This collaboration comes at a time when a state government-owned utility in Queensland is finalizing the installation of a vanadium flow battery as part of a trial to assess its suitability for medium- and long-duration storage needed to support the state’s renewable energy goals. The trial is expected to provide valuable insights into the potential of vanadium flow batteries in contributing to the state’s energy transition.
As construction of the battery progresses, stakeholders are eagerly awaiting the results of the trial, recognizing the importance of incorporating various battery technologies into the energy grid to support the transition to renewable energy sources.
