Are there any vanadium flow batteries in the United States?

The United States has some vanadium flow battery installations, albeit at a smaller scale. One is a microgrid pilot project in California that was completed in January 2022.

Is vanadium good for flow batteries?

Vanadium is ideal for flow batteries because it doesn’t degrade unless there’s a leak causing the material to flow from one tank through the membrane to the other side. Even in that case, MIT researchers say the cross-contamination is temporary, and only the oxidation states will be affected.

What is the difference between a lithium ion battery and a vanadium electrolyte?

The vanadium electrolyte retains a positive end of life value which can be used to offset any recycling costs. In contrast, the lithium ion battery, assumed to be LFP which accounts for most sales today, has end-of-life costs which push LCOS up by $6/MWh. Finally, there is some difference in efficiency costs as well.

What is a 5kw/30kwh vanadium flow battery?

The 5kW/30kWh Vanadium Flow Battery (VFB) is designed for off grid/microgrid and industrial applications. Small in size, but powerful enough to store the energy needs of even large homes, the 30kWh VFB stackable batteries are powerful enough to support telecom tower back-ups and microgrids.

Do batteries have residual value?

Some batteries have residual value when they reach the end of their useful life: vanadium electrolyte can be reused in a new battery, and NMC lithium ion batteries contain valuable metals that can be recovered and sold. Other chemistries like LFP have little residual value to offset EOL costs.

Does vanadium have a supply chain problem?

But vanadium comes with its own supply chain issues. As the adoption of long-duration energy storage grows, demand for vanadium will skyrocket. Pure vanadium is rarely naturally occurring, though, and it’s usually mined as a byproduct or is otherwise found in compounds. Current production is segmented in China, Russia, and South Africa.