Energy Storage News

VRB Energy Announces Final Commissioning of 12 Megawatt Hour Vanadium Flow Battery
Globe Newswire, 14 January 2019

VRB Energy Inc. reported, on January 11, 2019, the final commissioning of Phase 1 of the 40 Megawatt Hour ("MWh") vanadium-redox-battery energy-storage-system (VRB-ESS®) at Zaoyang, Hubei Province, China, with a 3 MW/12 MWh storage system commencing operation.
Phase 1 is part of the larger 40 Megawatt Hour energy storage project awarded to VRB in 2017 with construction beginning in 2018. (See Sparton News Release dated November 2, 2018, and VRB Energy News Release dated November 1, 2018).
The VRB-ESS is being used to integrate a large solar photovoltaic system into the local electricity grid, and the current 12Mwh installation is the largest VRB-ESS® built in China to date.

Iowa's first solar and storage power plant goes live at the Maharishi University of Management
PRNewswire, 7 January 2019

Next Generation Technology
The cutting edge facility incorporates both single-axis tracking and vanadium-flow battery energy storage. Designed by Ideal Energy, Inc., it is the first system of its kind in the Midwest and among the most technologically advanced solar installations in the United States.
 

CellCube Announces Sale of FB Modular to Project in France
7 January 2019

CellCube Storage Systems Inc. is pleased to announce the sale of a modular energy storage system ("FB Modular") to a French multi-national green energy developer for their internal technology proof of concept.
"Vanadium flow batteries with their long useful life time of more than 30 years is ideally suited to take on the role of balancing peak power and at the same time provide flexibility in the grid system, which rivals conventional power generation at grid demand needs.

China Making Big Battery Storage Push In 2019
27 December 2018 by Steve Hanley.

China is poised to add a significant amount of battery storage to its utility grid next year. And it’s backing two horses in the energy storage race — both lithium-ion and flow batteries are part of the plan.  China’s renewable energy portfolio now stands at 706 gigawatts according to Bloomberg but too much of that is wasted, or curtailed as they say in the utility industry. 7.7% of the electricity generated by wind turbines is curtailed as is 2.9% of electricity from solar panels.
VRB Energy, a developer of vanadium flow batteries, says it plans to build a 100MW/500MWh storage system in Hubei province located in central China. It has begun commissioning a 250 kW/1 MW demonstration unit that it plans to expand to a 3 MW/12MWh battery later this year.

The Solar Plus Storage Must Flow
pv magazine USA, 17 December 2018

Ideal Energy has installed a single-axis tracker, 1.1 MW DC solar plant with NexTracker’s largest flow battery project to date: a 35 unit, 350 kW / 1.1 MWh Avalon Battery vanadium flow system.
Flow batteries have a few key advantages over lithium ion technology. The most important may be that they don’t degrade, and some are projecting that the path toward financially viable energy storage must go through flow batteries.

Ultra Power tags Canadian technology for world’s first dedicated vanadium processing facility
MINING.com, 12 December 2018

VanadiumCorp and Electrochem Technologies and Materials have signed a patent option agreement allowing Ultra Pure Systems to purchase an exclusive licence to their VanadiumCorp-Electrochem processing technology (VEPT). The new technology will be used in the world’s first dedicated vanadium processing facility in Australia.
Ultra plans to integrate low cost battery grade vanadium electrolyte into  from virtually any source. VEPT can be applied at a fraction of the time and capital requirements of conventional vanadium extraction processes. The technology also reduces the related emissions. Operating costs are offset by the production of by-products.

Ultra Power Systems PTY Ltd. Signs Exclusive Patent Option Agreement to Purchase a License for the VanadiumCorp-Electrochem Processing Technology for Australia VanadiumCorp News Releases, 10 December 2018

VanadiumCorp Resource Inc. (TSX-V: “VRB”) (the “Company”) and Electrochem Technologies & Materials Inc. (“Electrochem”) have signed a Patent Option Agreement (“POA”) for Ultra Power Systems Pty Ltd (“Ultra”) to purchase an exclusive license. Ultra plans to utilize the Australian license of VanadiumCorp-Electrochem Processing Technology (“VEPT”) to expedite construction of the world’s first dedicated vanadium processing facility. Ultra’s core objective is to directly integrate low-cost battery grade vanadium electrolyte into vanadium redox batteries from virtually any source in a fraction of the time and capital requirements of current vanadium extraction processes. The VEPT dramatically reduces emissions associated with vanadium extraction as well as substantially offsetting the operating cost through the production of valuable by-products.
The resultant vanadium electrolyte, therefore, has a minimal carbon footprint as well as being significantly cheaper. Additionally, the electrolyte offers an exceedingly lengthy usage life (effectively perpetual reuse), which provides an excellent basis for long-term leasing. This will provide end users the option of avoiding a large portion of the initial capital outlay by distributing it over time through a lease arrangement (with the electrolyte remaining an asset of Ultra).

Energy storage market in China to reach $6 billion by 2024
Smart Energy, 4 December 2018

China's energy storage market size is set to witness robust growth on account of a rapidly growing ancillary service industry coupled with ongoing investments towards smart-grid infrastructure development.
China's flow vanadium energy storage market is projected to exceed $3 billion by 2024. Abilities to offer virtually unlimited storage capacity, long scale duration, rapid response time, and negligible self-discharge are some of the key features which make the technology suitable for large-scale renewable integration applications over its available alternatives.
Furthermore, vast reserves of vanadium in the country may imply lower prices, minimal currency risks and ease of availability for the manufacturers, which will propel the industry growth.

Protean Energy begins work on vanadium battery project through South Korean subsidiary
Proactive Investors Australia, 29 November 2018

Protean Energy Ltd’s (ASX:POW) 60%-owned subsidiary KORID Energy has started work on a 1 megawatt/4 megawatt-hour vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB).
The battery is being constructed in conjunction with the Korean Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) to demonstrate the most efficient vanadium battery solution for eventual mass production in South Korea.
It will also serve as a basis for developing an industry standard for vanadium batteries in Korea.
KORID recently received a funding commitment of $3 million from KETEP to install and run its patented V-KOR stack technology as part of the overall $9.7 million vanadium battery project.

Australian Vanadium and VSun Energy partner with Future Batteries Industry to advance Australia’s Battery Sector
Small Caps, 19 November 2018

Integrated vanadium company Australian Vanadium (ASX: AVL) and its subsidiary VSun Energy have partnered with the Future Batteries Industry Cooperative Centre (FBI CRC) to advance Australia’s battery metals sector.
Australian Vanadium and VSun Energy have signed an agreement to offer “in-kind services” to the FBI CRC.
The WA state government, along with Curtin University, the University of WA, Murdoch University, Tianqi Lithium, BHP Billiton and Pilbara Minerals are assisting the FBI CRC in creating and building Australia’s battery industry.

StorEn’s Vanadium Flow Battery Has Arrived at Stony Brook University
CleanTechnica, 19 November 2018

The StorEn Technologies* vanadium flow battery prototype has arrived at Stony Brook University in New York. This battery, featuring StorEn’s proprietary technology will undergo extensive independent validation at the Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center(AERTC) at Stony Brook University. This session follows their internal testing performed at the Environment Park.

Australia’s largest C&I energy storage system goes live
International Mining, 19 November 2018

A 1 MWh hybrid redT system is now operational at Australia’s largest university. This vanadium flow/lithium-ion hybrid energy storage system is now installed and operational at a site in Monash University. The system is the largest behind the meter C&I (Commercial & Industrial) energy storage system to be installed in Australia and the first of its type to be commissioned worldwide. It comprises 900 kWh (12 tank units) of vanadium flow machine technology, coupled alongside a 120 kW C1-rated lithium battery.
redT’s energy storage solution sits at the heart of a pioneering microgrid, storing and dispatching energy from multiple sources, including 1 MW of solar panels. By utilising the complementary strengths of two storage technologies, the hybrid system will act as a flexible platform, integrating with building management systems and EV charging stations whilst enabling cutting-edge “peer-to-pool” energy trading. This project is a core part of the University’s Net Zero Initiative, an ambitious, unprecedented project which aims to completely transform how the university uses energy with a target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Protean’s Perth vanadium battery a success
Stockhead, 16 November 2018

Special Report: Protean Energy’s Perth vanadium battery is working as planned, successfully hooking into the local grid and doing two charge-discharge cycles a day.
The ‘plug and play’ 25kW/100kWh V-KOR vanadium redox flow battery (VFRB) was switched on at industrial fittings supplier OzLinc Industries in Perth, in June.
Tests included charging from solar only, grid only and solar/grid.
“The project has been extremely valuable for understanding the implementation requirements for projects in the Australian region,” said Protean chairman Bevan Tarratt.
“It has provided important insights into the development of our flagship 25kW stack development and we have identified customer segments that can benefit from the company’s value proposition.
“This is now helping refine the commercialisation program for the 25kW stack, and we are focused on delivering a highly efficient, low-cost 25kW stack that will competitively position V-KOR for large-scale battery configurations.”

Vanadium batteries the solution to meet growing energy storage demand
Creamer Media's Engineering News, 14 November 2018

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are a front-runner technology for meeting the growing demand in the energy storage sector, says Bushveld Energy CEO Mikhail Nikomarov.
During a webinar on energy storage this week, he noted that data by US-based multiservice professional firm Navigant shows that VRFB demand is expected to increase to over 18 000 MWh by 2027.
If these forecasts hold true, 82 000 t of vanadium will be needed just for VRFBs, he said. Taking the BMI forecast into account, this could increase to over 96 000 t.
Nikomarov said VRFBs offered clear advantages, both technically and financially, which “sets it apart in large-scale stationary applications”.

Australia steps up the pace in battery energy storage race
Stockhead, 12 November 2018

Vanadium vies for top place in battery storage
While the electric vehicle space is firmly dominated by lithium-ion for the moment, stationary storage is more diverse. There are a couple of battery technologies vying for top spot, but the spotlight is largely on vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs).
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence predicts that by 2028, 50 per cent of the burgeoning stationary storage market will be lithium-ion, and 25 per cent will be VRFBs.
VRFBs are regarded as a safer alternative to lithium-ion and better suited to large-scale applications.
They come at a higher upfront cost but have a far longer life compared to lithium-ion batteries.

Europe’s largest commercial and industrial PV storage testbed launched
pv magazine global, 31 October 2018

CMI Group subsidiary CMI Energy will assess battery systems at its headquarters in Seraing, Belgium.
Throughout the year, the mechanical engineering parent company has installed 2 MW of solar PV generation capacity on its premises to power its production facilities. The project behind this, the Micro Réseau Intégré Seraing (MiRIS) evaluates battery systems to provide the best solution to customers, CMI press officer Laurence Petit told pv magazine.
The pilot program features a 1.3 MWh lithium-ion storage system supplied by Chinese battery maker BYD alongside two vanadium redox flow batterries with a capacity of 1,750 kWh. The company is also testing the viability of a new sodium-sulfur (NaS) battery, supplied by NGK.

VRB Energy Commissions 3MW 12MWh Vanadium Redox Battery Energy Storage System (VRB-ESS®) in Phase 1 of the Hubei Zaoyang 10MW 4MWh Utility-Scale Solar and Storage Integration Demonstration Project 
VRB Energy, 31 October 2018

BEIJING and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robert Friedland, Chairman of VRB Energy, and Dr. Mianyan Huang, Chief Technology Officer and President of China Operations, are pleased to announce today that commissioning of a 3-megawatt (MW) 12-megawatt-hour (MWh) vanadium-redox-battery energy-storage-system (VRB-ESS®) in China is currently underway, with the first battery module of 250-kilowatt (kW) 1MWh successfully commissioned.
The 3MW 12MWh VRB-ESS currently being installed in Zaoyang, Hubei to integrate a large solar photovoltaic system into the grid is the first phase of a 10MW 40MWh project that VRB Energy was awarded in November 2017.

CellCube Energy Storage Systems Inc.'s CEO talks with Uptick Newswire’s Stock Day Podcast About Applications of Their Technology and Untapped Dimensions of the Company
GlobeNewswire (press release), 24 October 2018

CellCube Energy Storage Systems Inc. (CSE: CUBE) (OTCQB: CECBF) (Frankfurt: 01X) (“CellCube” or the “Company”) is focused on the fast-growing energy storage industry which is driven by the large increase in demand for renewable energy. CEO, Mike Neylan, joined Stock Day’s Everett Jolly to talk about the energy storage market.
Jolly asked Neylan what makes CellCube different from other energy storage companies out there. He said their unique flow battery system sets them apart in the market.
“Our energy storage system is based on our vanadium redox flow battery technology,” he said. “Compared to other flow battery systems, we have a proven technology because of our ten year track record already with 130 installations in 24 different countries.”
He went on to say that track record and the proven nature of the technology is only one part of what makes them unique, “In comparison to lithium, what we are talking about is long duration capacity. They simply last longer, with a 4, 6 and 8-hour duration in the kind of energy storage charge and discharge capacity in what they can provide. That’s something Lithium just can’t do.”
Neylan added that there is no degradation with vanadium in comparison to lithium, as well. He said that the flow battery vanadium technology is as good on day one as it will be twenty years later.

Iowa Investigates Solar And Storage
 Solar Industry, 23 October 2018

A new research grant aims to further the growth of solar energy and battery storage in Iowa, which the Solar Energy Industries Association ranks 37th in the nation for solar capacity.
The Fairfield (Iowa) Economic Development Association (FEDA) has facilitated a $200,000 research grant for Ideal Energy, a local solar company based in Fairfield. The grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) will be used to evaluate the performance of the first large-scale solar-plus-battery installations in the state, says FEDA.
Designed and built by Ideal Energy, two installations will be located in Fairfield at Agri-Industrial Plastics Co. (AIP) and Maharishi University of Management (MUM).

South Africa Makes Huge Distributed Energy Storage Commitment
Energy Storage News,  23 Oct 2018

South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom has unveiled its Distributed Battery Storage Programme at an event this week, committing to solar-plus-storage and energy storage projects totalling 1,400MWh.
Last week, Eskom released its environmental and social management framework study (ESMF) for the programme, published in conjunction with the African Development Bank Group. The bank will assist the funding for the programme, along with the World Bank.
The wide-ranging plan will see storage deployed across all nine provinces of South Africa, in two phases of development and construction:
Phase 1: 800MWh of battery energy storage will be deployed along distribution sites operated by Eskom in Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal at various points. These projects are scheduled for completion by December 2019.
Phase 2: 640MWh of battery energy storage will be deployed in combination with 60MW of distributed solar PV. Projects will be deployed across all of the nine South African provinces, scheduled for completion by December 2021.

Golden Share Announces Satisfactory Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Phase Two Trial
Resource World, 17 October 2018

Based on the successful phase one trial, the phase two trial was conducted during the summer of 2018, in Changsha, a city in southern China known for its hot, humid summers. The phase two trial successfully supported a wider temperature operating range, particular at higher temperatures, which is regarded as a specific reliability improvement of the licensed vanadium electrolyte (“VE”) developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. During the phase two trial, the licensed vanadium electrolyte was continually and stably operating, without any cooling being applied, at 113° Fahrenheit or 45° Celsius (with an air temperature of approximately 95°Fahrenheit or 35° Celsius). The licensed vanadium electrolyte has advantages over previous generations, including a wider temperature operating range (approximately 10° Celsius higher operating temperature) and higher energy density (approximately 25% minimum greater). As the most important component of vanadium redox flow battery (“VRFB”), in principle a better vanadium electrolyte can be expected to improve overall vanadium redox flow battery performance.

Protean Energy secures controlling stake in Korean vanadium-focused subsidiary
Proactive Investors Australia, 17 October 2018

Protean energy expert Scott Davis said the company was pleased to increase ownership in KORID during an exciting time for the company and strong growth in the global battery market.
"KORID's selection by the South Korean government as the lead developer and supplier of the stack component of the battery is significant validation of KORID's expertise in stack technology. This increased stake in KORID gives Protean Energy a controlling interest in the V-KOR battery technology. There is significant potential emerging in the vanadium battery storage market and Protean is now placed to capitalise on further advancements in this technology."
Research from TechNavio predicts the global vanadium market to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.24% during the 2017-2021 period, with vanadium redox flow batteries a key driver.