Commercialisation of vanadium battery is advancing strongly

Canadian-based company VRB Power Systems’ patented Vanadium Redox Battery Energy Storage System (VRB-ESS), which has strong links to South Africa, has commercialised the VRB-ESS (large systems 50 kW to 10 MW) and is in late commercialisation phase for 2,5 to 20 kW systems intended to be used as lead-acid back-up battery replacements. Company president Vince Sorace tells Engineering News that the use of this battery technology could expand significantly in the future. The VRB-ESS is an electrochemical energy-storage unit that can store electricity on demand and provide direct economic benefits to utilities and end- users of improved power quality, reli- ability and energy efficiency. Sorace says that the system is particularly well-suited to load-levelling (peak shaving), electrical power arbitrage, grid stability enhancements, capital deferment and remote area power supply applications. This technology is primarily focused on stationary power sources, such as utility substations, commercial buildings, production facilities, telecommunication operations, cellular radio sites, and renewable resource generation sources, such as wind farms. As a ‘green’ technology, VRB-ESS has the lowest ecological impact of all energy-storage technologies. Unlike most other conventional energy-storage systems, this technology does not rely on toxic substances, such as lead, zinc or cadmium. Instead, the VRB-ESS uses a Vanadium-based electrolyte and is intended for applications from 2,5 kW to 10 MW with duration of two hours and longer. “Effectively, the VRB-ESS is an elec- trical energy-storage system based on the patented vanadium-based redox regenerative fuel cell that converts chemical energy into electrical energy.” VRB Power Systems’ vanadium redox battery incorporates a programmable power electronics device developed by Eskom TSI, of South Africa, while the vanadium electrolyte is manufactured and supplied by another well-known South African company, Highveld Steel and Vanadium. VRB Power Systems, through its Australian subsidiary, Pinnacle VRB, controls the worldwide patents for the vanadium redox battery. However, Japan’s Sumitomo has been granted rights by VRB Power, for which it pays royalties. Currently, there are 15 systems in operation in Japan. The company is looking at potential opportunities for the vanadium redox battery in South Africa’s rural electrification programme, but Sorace said it was too early to comment on the progress of this initiative. The company is also exploring uninterruptible power-supply opportunities, starting with small 5 kW, four-hour systems aimed at the telecommunication markets. “Cellular radio sites suffer from problematic and expensive lead-acid battery installations and a niche market we would like to address is the replacement of these lead-acid batteries with vanadium redox batteries,” Sorace says.

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	Author: Zonika Botha Portfolio: Deputy Editor Features E-mail: newsdesk@engineeringnews.co.za