Does vanadium have a supply chain problem?

But vanadium comes with its own supply chain issues. As the adoption of long-duration energy storage grows, demand for vanadium will skyrocket. Pure vanadium is rarely naturally occurring, though, and it’s usually mined as a byproduct or is otherwise found in compounds. Current production is segmented in China, Russia, and South Africa.

Why is vanadium a problem?

However, as the grid becomes increasingly dominated by renewables, more and more flow batteries will be needed to provide long-duration storage. Demand for vanadium will grow, and that will be a problem. “Vanadium is found around the world but in dilute amounts, and extracting it is difficult,” says Rodby.

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 are vanadium batteries more expensive than lithium-ion batteries?

As a result, vanadium batteries currently have a higher upfront cost than lithium-ion batteries with the same capacity. Since they're big, heavy and expensive to buy, the use of vanadium batteries may be limited to industrial and grid applications.

Does vanadium degrade?

First, vanadium doesn’t degrade. “If you put 100 grams of vanadium into your battery and you come back in 100 years, you should be able to recover 100 grams of that vanadium—as long as the battery doesn’t have some sort of a physical leak,” says Brushett.

Are there any vanadium flow batteries in the United States?

The United States has some vanadium flow battery installations, albeit at a smaller scale. One is a microgrid pilot project in California that was completed in January 2022.