vanadium-flow batteries

Researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) in China have developed a 70 kW-level vanadium flow battery stack. The newly designed stack comes in 40% below current 30 kW-level stacks in terms of costs, due to its volume power density of 130 kW/m3.

The deployment of a vanadium flow battery at a fire station run by Native Americans illustrates the role that the energy storage technology can play in ensuring that nobody is disadvantaged by the shift away from fossil fuels.

A unit of Largo Resources is launching a new vanadium redox flow battery for utility-scale storage projects, microgrids, renewable energy integration, grid smoothing, and backup power. The battery will feature a modular architecture, based on 1 MW “building blocks” and 2 MWh blocks of storage capacity.

Researchers in India have developed a 5 kW/25 kWh vanadium redox flow battery with an energy density of 30 watt-hours to 40 watt-hours per liter.

Flow battery manufacturers typically pursue utility scale storage projects but German start-up VoltStorage is targeting the household market.

Batteries of the type have traditionally been used for long-duration storage applications. Now though, it seems vanadium is making an entry into the fast-paced world of ancillary grid services.