Vanadium Batteries: Alternative for Energy Storage?

Battery Metals

Cleantech Canada recently looked at the potential for vanadium battery technology to eventually take a share of the energy storage market. As quoted in the publication: Tucked into the fourth row of the periodic table, slotted in among an unassuming mass of transition metals, vanadium is another high-potential element with its own unique properties, and …

Cleantech Canada recently looked at the potential for vanadium battery technology to eventually take a share of the energy storage market.
As quoted in the publication:

Tucked into the fourth row of the periodic table, slotted in among an unassuming mass of transition metals, vanadium is another high-potential element with its own unique properties, and an equally encouraging value proposition.
“[It’s] the only metal on the planet which can act in its own right—just as one metal—as a complete battery,” said Tim Hennessy, president and COO of vanadium battery maker, Imergy Power Systems Inc. “Every other battery you need two elements… to create this difference which allows a battery to exist.”
Unlike lithium-ion devices, vanadium-based batteries will never power your cell phone or laptop—and you’re unlikely to ever find one tucked under the hood of your electric car. While mobile applications aren’t their niche, for large-scale storage projects and microgrids—both fast-growing segments of the renewable energy and utility markets—vanadium batteries offer a range of appealing features that could see the technology chip away at lithium’s dominance of the storage space.

Click here for the full press release.

The Conversation (2)
Tim Halyk
Tim Halyk
13 Jul, 2016
Mr. Hennesey's comments on the availability of vanadium supply is a little misleading. True, it is a common element that is found in the earth's crust almost everywhere. However, what he failed to mention is that there are very few vanadium projects globally that have a large enough resource size, an appropriate grade (north of at least 0.35% vanadium content in the raw ore), a process friendly resource (significantly impact both CAPEX & OPEX if it isn't), close to existing infrastructure, has both government and local stakeholders support, in a reduced risked location (political risk, transparency concerns, nationalization risk etc.) and is unencumbered without a long term off-take agreement that will dictate both the process technology and most importantly the end product(s). I can count on 2 hands the projects that meet most of these and on 1 hand those that meet them all. Vanadium is a commodity that is just as affected by economic factors as any other. So it does have swings in both supply and demand. Current situation is the very significant beginning of a supply scarcity globally, Depending on fly ash from Mexican and Venezuelan oil and Oil Sands bitumen and/or sourcing vanadium from steel scrap for a North American supply solution to provide the VE needed for Imergy's long term battery growth plan borders on irresponsible.
Tim Halyk
Tim Halyk
13 Jul, 2016
Mr. Hennesey's comments on the availability of vanadium supply is a little misleading. True, it is a common element that is found in the earth's crust almost everywhere. However, what he failed to mention is that there are very few vanadium projects globally that have a large enough resource size, an appropriate grade (north of at least 0.35% vanadium content in the raw ore), a process friendly resource (significantly impact both CAPEX & OPEX if it isn't), close to existing infrastructure, has both government and local stakeholders support, in a reduced risked location (political risk, transparency concerns, nationalization risk etc.) and is unencumbered without a long term off-take agreement that will dictate both the process technology and most importantly the end product(s). I can count on 2 hands the projects that meet most of these and on 1 hand those that meet them all. Vanadium is a commodity that is just as affected by economic factors as any other. So it does have swings in both supply and demand. Current situation is the very significant beginning of a supply scarcity globally, Depending on fly ash from Mexican and Venezuelan oil and Oil Sands bitumen and/or sourcing vanadium from steel scrap for a North American supply solution to provide the VE needed for Imergy's long term battery growth plan borders on irresponsible.
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