Are vanadium redox flow batteries sustainable?

In particular, vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) are well suited to provide modular and scalable energy storage due to favorable characteristics such as long cycle life, easy scale-up, and good recyclability. However, there is a lack of detailed original studies on the potential environmental impacts of their production and operation.

What is a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB)?

Batteries are one of the key technologies for flexible energy systems in the future. In particular, vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) are well suited to provide modular and scalable energy stora...

How many Chambers does a vanadium redox-flow battery have?

As the schematic shown in Fig. 1, a vanadium redox-flow battery has two chambers, a positive chamber and a negative chamber, separated by an ion-exchange membrane.

How does a vanadium redox-flow battery work?

The reactions proceed in the opposite direction during charge process. The active species are normally dissolved in a strong acid, and the protons transport across the ion-exchange membrane to balance the charge. The standard voltage produced by the vanadium redox-flow battery system is 1.25 V. [1-3]

What are the disadvantages of vanadium redox-flow batteries?

One disadvantage of vanadium redox-flow batteries is the low volumetric energy storage capacity, limited by the solubilities of the active species in the electrolyte. The cost of vanadium may be acceptable, because it is a relatively abundant material, which exists naturally in ~65 different minerals and fossil fuel deposits.

Is redox flow battery a good choice for large-scale energy storage?

Fortunately, the redox flow battery that possesses the advantages including decoupled energy and power, high efficiency, good reliability, high design flexibility, fast response, and long cycle life, is regarded as a more practical candidate for large-scale energy storage [, , , ].