COULD VANADIUM-BASED BATTERIES BE THE FUTURE OF ENERGY STORAGE?

Future Storage of Renewable Energy Could Lie in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Several firms are developing batteries made using vanadium that are capable of storing large amounts and releasing it back gradually. Renewable energies like solar power are a growing source of power for communities around the world, yet still have their downsides. For example, they often produce most of their energy at the wrong time, in the case of solar energy between noon and 4 pm, when demand is low. Vanadium “redox flow” batteries are very stable and can be recharged up to 20,000 times with no significant loss in performance.

When oxidised vanadium is added to a solution of sulphuric acid it produces some interesting results, electrons can be transferred very easily to vanadium from a secondary metal like zinc, “the ease with which you can hand electrons to vanadium and take them away” is the basis for its stability as a battery. Lithium batteries are excellent storers of energy and are plentiful at the moment, yet only have a life of 1,000 to 2,000 recharges, far less than vanadium. On top of this vanadium “redox flow” batteries can be scaled up by adding larger tanks of electrolyte which makes them very adaptable.