Can vanadium flow batteries decarbonize the power sector?

Vanadium flow batteries show technical promise for decarbonizing the power sector. High and volatile vanadium prices limit deployment of vanadium flow batteries. Vanadium is globally abundant but in low grades, hindering economic extraction. Vanadium's supply is highly concentrated as co-/by-product production.

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.

Why is vanadium electrolyte so expensive?

One of the main costs affecting vanadium electrolyte is the price of moving it. Essentially when you transport the electrolyte you are moving acid and water. To reduce the cost of the battery, manufacturing the electrolyte close to the installation makes a lot of sense.

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 are vanadium redox flow batteries?

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) provide long-duration energy storage. VRFBs are stationary batteries which are being installed around the world to store many hours of generated renewable energy. VRFBs have an elegant and chemically simple design, with a single element of vanadium used in the vanadium electrolyte solution.

How can we reduce the cost of a vanadium battery?

One method to reduce the burden of the vanadium price does exist via a new market of electrolyte leasing, where a third-party company leases the vanadium – usually in the form of VRFB electrolyte – to a battery vendor or end-user.