Australian Vanadium electrolyte used in first battery

Australian Vanadium (AVL) has completed factory acceptance testing (FAT) of a vanadium flow battery (VFB) – the first to be manufactured using Australian manufactured vanadium electrolyte.

The 220kWh VFB, to be installed at a Horizon Power site in Kununurra, Western Australia, can deliver up to 78kW of power for long duration energy storage.

The battery contains vanadium electrolyte manufactured by AVL at the Company’s electrolyte manufacturing facility in Perth.

This is the first instance of AVL’s vanadium electrolyte being used in an operational VFB and the first instance of AVL’s electrolyte being approved for use by a leading VFB manufacturer, Invinity Energy Systems.

Australian Vanadium is building a mine near Meekatharra in Western Australia, concentrator near Mulwala and electrolyte facility in Perth, as well as planning further vertical integration in the battery value chain.

AVL’s Chief Executive Officer Graham Arvidson said: “We are pleased to report that the VFB purchased by Horizon Power has now completed the FAT process and is operating successfully.

“Over the past months the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, VSUN Energy, has collaborated closely with Horizon Power to successfully integrate its preferred hardware with the battery.”

Recently the VSUN Energy team welcomed staff from Horizon Power to view the battery which aims to support electricity grids increasingly powered by variable renewable energy such as solar and wind.

The battery is now being transported to Horizon Power’s site in Kununurra, where it will be installed and undertake site acceptance testing.

Image: Australian Vanadium Limited