Australia’s first vanadium flow battery plant begins construction in Townsville

Australian vanadium mining company Vecco Group is beginning construction on a vanadium battery production facility in Townsville which is expected to begin production later this year.

The Queensland government announced this week that the $26 million Townsville Vanadium Battery Manufacturing Facility will be Australia’s first commercial-scale vanadium flow battery electrolyte manufacturing facility.

The new facility, when it is completed and begins production later this year, will produce 9 megalitres of electrolyte annually for use in vanadium flow batteries – the equivalent to energy storage capacity of 175MWh annually.

Plans are also already in place to expand production to the equivalent of 350MWh per year.

The new production facility is part of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan – which includes the goal of creating a North Queensland battery industry supply chain – and is being backed through the Queensland government’s Industry Partnership Program.

“Thanks to Queensland Government support, Vecco Group is building the vanadium industry which will bring more jobs and investment to North Queensland,” said Thomas Northcott, Vecco Group managing director.

Vanadium used in production will initially be imported, but construction of the new vanadium battery facility will also support the development of Vecco’s Debella Critical Minerals Mine, located near Julia Creek in North-West Queensland.

Once both facilities are completed, a full vanadium flow battery supply chain will call North Queensland home.

“These batteries will be made in Queensland, right here in Townsville, and will change the game for renewable energy storage,” said Annastacia Palaszczuk, Queensland’s premier.

“A key to my government’s landmark Energy and Jobs Plan is supercharging our SuperGrid with initiatives like this, as we transition to a cleaner, more reliable energy system.

“There’s no better place to launch an Australian first than here in Townsville – the gateway to Queensland’s vast renewable energy zone and North-West Minerals Province.”