Is the vanadium redox flow battery industry poised for growth?

Image: VRB Energy. The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) industry is poised for significant growth in the coming years, equal to nearly 33GWh a year of deployments by 2030, according to new forecasting. Vanadium industry trade group Vanitec has commissioned Guidehouse Insights to undertake independent analysis of the VRFB energy storage sector.

How many primary vanadium producers are there in the world?

As we noted in an article last year for the journal PV Tech Power, there are however only three primary vanadium producers in the world, with the majority of vanadium coming from secondary sources as a byproduct of steel production.

Are vanadium flow batteries safe?

Vanadium flow batteries are safe and reliable because they use the same electrolyte on both sides of the battery. This eliminates the risk of harmful corrosion or degradation over time.

Is vanadium better than lithium?

Vanadium outperforms lithium on depth-of-discharge (DoD), cycle life, and end of life value (lithium carries a disposal cost). With over 1,000,000 hours of operation on systems in research and development labs and in the field, VRB-ESS® batteries are the most proven technology in the industry today.

How long do vanadium redox batteries last?

Vanadium redox batteries can be discharged over an almost unlimited number of charge and discharge cycles without wearing out. This is an important factor when matching the daily demands of utility-scale solar and wind power generation. VRB® Energy products have a proven life of at least 25 years without degradation in the battery.

What's the difference between a flow battery and a vanadium flow battery?

VRB Energy's vanadium flow batteries use the same electrolyte on both sides of the battery, unlike some flow batteries that use different chemicals for the positive and negative sides.