Western Australia-based resources and technology company Australian Vanadium Limited (AVL) and its subsidiary, VSUN Energy, have signed a memorandum of understanding with Alcoa to evaluate the potential use of vanadium flow battery (VFB) energy storage technology in the miner’s alumina refinery operations.
AVL said the collaboration will assess the technical and commercial feasibility of a VFB energy storage system with a nominal capacity of 50–80 MW and a storage duration of six to eight hours, extendable beyond eight hours.
The proposed system would be evaluated for its capacity to support refinery operations, optimise energy use during peak demand periods and increase the utilisation of renewable energy across Alcoa’s operations.
The study will assess the technical and commercial feasibility of deployment of long-duration VFB systems at Alcoa’s refinery sites and associated landholdings in Western Australia.
AVL and VSUN Energy will lead the scoping-level study and will be responsible for battery design, cost estimates, electrolyte supply, financing options and potential government funding. If the study is successful, the parties may progress to detailed feasibility studies and explore commercial arrangements, including potential energy offtake agreements.
AVL Chief Executive Officer Graham Arvidson said the project represents an important opportunity to demonstrate the value of VFBs in utility-scale industrial applications.
“Long-duration energy storage will play a critical role in enabling industrial electrification and increasing the utilisation of renewable energy, and VFB technology is particularly well suited to these applications,” he said.
“Working with a globally recognised industrial operator such as Alcoa provides an opportunity to evaluate how long-duration energy storage can support operational flexibility, energy cost management and decarbonisation objectives.”
AVL expects the project to draw on its V-Nomad electrolyte technology platform and VSUN Energy’s Lumina modular, scalable, utility-scale battery energy storage system.
The Perth-headquartered company said the collaboration with Alcoa aligns with its broader ‘pit to battery’ value-adding strategy.
“The opportunity reflects AVL’s integrated strategy across the vanadium value chain, from resource development and electrolyte manufacturing through to utility-scale battery deployment and represents another important step in demonstrating the role of vanadium flow batteries in Australia’s energy transition,” AVL said.
Alcoa operates three alumina refineries in Western Australia at Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup, as well as the Huntly and Willowdale bauxite mines in the Darling Range. The Pennsylvania-based company also recently purchased fellow miner South32’s bauxite mine and alumina refinery in the state’s southwest as part of a deal worth about $8 billion.
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