Thank you for sharing the story which gives a useful reminder about VFBs, although author, Jarrod Lucas, might have been a bit more diligent in his research around the Kununurra battery which I understand was a pilot for MORE than just the Kagoorlie battery;
From the government press release if the day;
[“The pilot will also provide Horizon Power with lessons on how to integrate long-duration energy storage into its network, microgrids, and other off-grid power systems.]”
And I liked this refutation of the timing ‘doubt’ by Graham in the story and that he pinned timing on to local content - which presumably the opposition wants as much as does the state government;
Battery promise 'achievable'
Graham Arvidson is CEO of ASX-listed Australian Vanadium, which operates a vanadium electrolyte plant in Perth and is progressing regulatory approvals for a vanadium mine near Meekatharra in WA's Midwest.
The company provided electrolyte for the Kununurra battery trial using imported vanadium.
"The reality is that for any large-scale battery, you're looking at sort of a two-year horizon to grid connect and that's just the process of getting the approvals," Mr Arvidson said.
"In terms of the timeline, I think it's all achievable in line with how Labor presented it. It's just a question of how much local content can be included in that battery within the timeframe."
Mr Arvidson (left) with WA Premier Roger Cook. (Supplied: Vanadium Australia)
Mr Arvidson described vanadium flow batteries as a "proven technology" that had not been widely adopted because of high costs.
"You're going to continue to see lots more of these batteries, not just in Kalgoorlie. Yes, they are better for hot climates, but ultimately economics generally wins," he said.
"Flow batteries are not flammable, they'll last 30 to 50 years without degrading and are fully recyclable, and once the economics stack up, there's a pretty compelling reason to adopt these." …
And I hope the comment on
‘seeing a lot more of these batteries, not just in Kalgoorlie’ is a clue relating to Eastern states interest, and also to Horizon rolling out more Invinity batteries.
And, finally - once again - with Graham up as fourth presentation
in Kalgoorlie on the first day of the prestigious Diggers & Dealers event on August 4, I think it would be a great shame on many levels, including governmental. if he was not able to highlight before that global audience that the city will be powered by a VSun VFB likely to be powered by clean energy from an Australian vanadium mine just 700 km North of Kalgoorlie within the next few years.
- Fingers crossed on that
cheers
(20min delay)