All-vanadium battery electrolyte price

What is a commercial vanadium electrolyte?

Currently, commercial vanadium electrolytes are primarily H 2 SO 4 (2.5–3.5 mol/L) solutions dissolving 1.5–2 mol/L vanadium, with energy densities typically around 25 Wh/L, significantly lower than Zn mixed flow batteries, which can achieve energy densities up to 70 Wh/L [10, 20].

What are vanadium redox flow batteries?

There is increasing interest in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) for large scale-energy storage systems. Vanadium electrolytes which function as both the electrolyte and active material are highly important in terms of cost and performance.

How much does vanadium cost per kilowatt-hour?

There is a 100 fold increase in the cost of the vanadium electrolytes that increases the capital costs per kilowatt-hour from around $300 to around $12,000. The differences in the price can be explained by the purity of the vanadium, with the laboratory grade vanadium being of much higher purity.

How can vanadium electrolyte improve battery performance?

The performance of vanadium electrolyte can be enhanced by suitable trace additives, which extend the life cycle of the battery and reduce the frequency of replacement. These additives favor green development and cost-saving while having no significant impact on post-recycling.

Is vanadium good for flow batteries?

Vanadium is ideal for flow batteries because it doesn’t degrade unless there’s a leak causing the material to flow from one tank through the membrane to the other side. Even in that case, MIT researchers say the cross-contamination is temporary, and only the oxidation states will be affected.

Why is vanadium electrolyte important?

Vanadium electrolyte, one of the key components of the VRFB system, plays a crucial role in determining the cost and performance of the battery, which are important factors in moving the VRFB towards greater reliability, economy, and market value.