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DIGGeRs & DeALeRs PReVIeW MACA.NET.AU

be increased interest in the battery space,
that will be the long-term driver,” Algar ex-
plained. “We have been a leading light in
the development of vanadium in batteries,
through marketing of the vanadium redox
flow battery [VRFB].”
Algar believes the Australian-designed
VRFB could play a major role in energy stor-
age domestically and globally.
“VRFB is a potential solution to our need
for storage technology on the grid,” he said.
“Placing lithium units to provide storage ca-
pacity – when they could be going into EVs
– is not maximising their use. By replacing
that lithium storage capacity with VRFBs you
are getting longer storage times – four, six,
even eight hours – you are looking at the abil-
ity to shift renewables use into peak times of
the day. It could have a dramatic impact on
domestic homes and small business but also The Australian vanadium project could become WA’s first successful vanadium operation
on a larger commercial/industrial scale.”
AVL’s VRFB strategy is aimed at meeting
both supply and end-use demand. “We believe the electrolyte will be a pre- If the IGO trial proves successful, Algar
Last year, the company was awarded mium market for vanadium. How much of expects the system to be deployed at other
the market it will take, we don’t know the an- sites.
swer to yet. Currently, the global market has “Once you are in that space, there are
a 90/10 split between steel and other uses. so many different niches on site that you
Realistically that could be an 80/20 split if we can apply the batteries to – camps, plants,
grow the energy storage part of the pie.” pumps, lighting, etc,” he said.
As well as supplying the battery market, From mining, to manufacturing to distribu-
AVL is also participating in it. The company’s tion, the AVL story is among the most mul-
VSUN Energy subsidiary has already in- tifaceted of ASX-listed resources stories.

Vincent Algar

a separate $3.69 million Federal Govern-
ment grant to develop a full-scale vanadium
electrolyte manufacturing plant in WA. AVL
has appointed NRW Holdings Ltd subsidi-
ary Primero to undertake early contractor
involvement for the project, which will be ca- AVL’s decision to move its backend
pable of producing 33 MWh of VRFB energy stalled VRFBs on several farms in Victoria processing plant closer to Geraldton has
storage annually. and in November struck agreement with IGO delivered cost savings
“The electrolyte sits in the middle of the Ltd to trial a VRFB standalone power system
process between the mine production and at the Nova nickel mine.
the end-product of the battery,” Algar said. The standalone power system will power a However, to achieve any of it, the company
IDENTIFY ECOSYSTEM ACCURATELY OPTIMISE PLANTING With AVL just one of several vanadium de- bore pump, potentially removing carbon from must first deliver something which has never
RISKS LIKE EROSION AND MEASURE EFFORTS WITH AERIAL velopers in the State, Algar has ambitions for the process completely. been done before, a successful WA vana-
dium mine.
“The installation of a system based on va-
INVASIVE SPECIES BIODIVERSITY SEEDING WA to develop a vanadium hub model with nadium technology for pumping application “That is the core of the story,” Algar con-
several operations feeding a single process-
ing facility. enables diesel to be almost entirely elimi- firmed. “We need to get that vanadium out
“If a VRFB company wants to place batter- nated, helping reduce overall carbon emis- of the ground.”
ies in Australia, they will come to AVL for the sions and providing reliable green power,” – Dominic Piper
vanadium electrolyte,” he said. Algar said.
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