How much does a vanadium flow battery energy storage system cost?

In a market announcement on Wednesday, parent company Australian Vanadium Ltd says analysis completed by VSUN Energy finds that a four-hour 100MW vanadium flow battery energy storage system (BESS) can deliver a levelised cost of storage (LCOS) of around $A274/MWh.

Can a vanadium flow battery compete with a lithium-ion battery?

Australian long duration energy storage hopeful VSUN Energy says it can deliver a grid-scale vanadium flow battery with up to eight hours of storage capacity that can compete, on costs, with lithium-ion battery products currently in the market.

Are vanadium batteries cheaper than lithium-ion?

Since they're big, heavy and expensive to buy, the use of vanadium batteries may be limited to industrial and grid applications. According to Dr Menictas, VRFB batteries work out cheaper than lithium-ion for these applications. "As you start increasing the storage time, vanadium becomes cheaper," he said.

What is a vanadium flow battery?

Vanadium flow battery technology offers a number of advantages over the lithium-ion; starting with their ability to provide the sort of 8-12 hour storage so desperately needed on modern renewable grids and closely followed by the sort of longevity afforded by a theoretically unlimited battery cycle life.

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.

Are vanadium redox flow batteries the future?

Called a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), it's cheaper, safer and longer-lasting than lithium-ion cells. Here's why they may be a big part of the future — and why you may never see one. In the 1970s, during an era of energy price shocks, NASA began designing a new type of liquid battery.