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Australian Vanadium (ASX:AVL) awards VRFB design work

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ASX:AVL      MCAP $120.5M
07 January 2021 07:41 (AEST)
Australian Vanadium (ASX:AVL) - Managing Director, Vincent Algar

Source: Australian Vanadium

Australian Vanadium (AVL) subsidiary, VSUN Energy, has engaged CADDS Group to design its residential vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB).

The company’s five kilowatt/30 kilowatt/hour VRFB was manufactured in China, by Gui Zhou Collect Energy Century Science and Technology, otherwise known as CEC. 

Australian Vanadium signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the manufacturer in September of 2020, for offtake and product development. With the VRFB product now completed, it has been imported to Australia for evaluation. 

As a design and consultancy firm, CADDS Group will now evaluate the VRFB system, and design a new housing for the product. In addition, CADDS may also suggest potential design changes, which will improve the battery to suit Australian residential market conditions. 

CADDS Group will conduct testing of the VRFB onsite, with some engineering help from Curtin University. Once this testing is successfully completed, VSUN Energy plans to deploy the unit to a residential customer, in order to conduct testing in a residential environment with solar energy input. 

Australian Vanadium’s Managing Director, Vincent Algar, said the company looks forward to working with CADDS Group to develop the design for the residential VRFB.

“This will give us the opportunity to provide feedback to CEC and ensure that the product is ideal for the Australian market,” he said.

“By initiating market growth in smaller systems, we anticipate a knock-on effect for larger VRFB uptake, which in turn will grow the market for vanadium pentoxide in energy storage,” he added.

Vincent went on to say that the project’s launch comes at the ideal time, in light of the State and Federal Government’s eagerness for increasing manufacturing and green energy capabilities in Australia. The company’s plans for vanadium electrolyte production also align with both Federal and State Government strategies.

Australian Vanadium closed in the grey, to trade for 1.6 cents per share.

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