Vanadium

Interesting article in today's AFR

Vanadium stocks to watch for lithium replacement in batteries

The article focuses on companies with projects in Australia but given Syrah's large Vanadium resource at Balama it is of interest.

Refers to Vanadium redox flow batteries which don’t decay after each use, can deliver energy over a longer period, are non-flammable and don’t explode. Also the vanadium electrolyte can be re-used, resulting in less waste at the end of life.

Claims it is gaining traction as a viable storage solution for large-scale renewable power sources, with the world’s largest vanadium redox flow battery energy storage system in Dalian, China recently added to the national grid.

Research is also being conducted on the use of vanadium as cathodes for lithium-ion batteries to combine the best of both technologies creating batteries that charge faster, last longer and are more powerful.