A new design for vanadium redox flow batteries could help fundamental research and accelerate commercialization of this energy storage technology.
Vanadium flow batteries “have by far the longest lifetimes” of all batteries and are able to perform over 20,000 charge-and-discharge cycles—equivalent to operating for 15–25 years—with minimal performance decline, said Hope Wikoff, an analyst with the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Traditionally, much of the global vanadium supply has been used to strengthen metal alloys such as steel. Because this vanadium application is still the leading driver for its production, it’s possible that flow battery suppliers will also have to compete with metal alloy production to secure vanadium supply.
Vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) energy storage systems have the advantages of flexible location, ensured safety, long durability, independent power and capacity configuration, etc., which make them the promising contestants for power systems applications.
Vanadium makes up a significantly higher percentage of the overall system cost compared with any single metal in other battery technologies and in addition to large fluctuations in price historically, its supply chain is less developed and can be more constrained than that of materials used in other battery technologies.
The global production of vanadium is currently about 110,000 metric tons (t) per year, but the market is already tight, and demand could grow to about 400,000 t per year by 2030, said Jana Plananska, an independent consultant working with the Anglo-Norwegian company Norge Mining. Flow batteries could account for up to half of that demand.