News Articles
December 1, 2009
Professor Maria Skyllas-Kazacos on the Vanadium Redox Battery.
November 11, 2009
2010 Technology of the Year: Lithium-Ion Batteries
"Following decades of research and a lengthy apprenticeship energizing our cell phones, laptops, and power tools, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have begun closing the gap between today's petroleum-fueled transportation and the electric cars of the future. Acknowledging this milestone on the road to more efficient automobiles, the Li-ion battery is Automobile Magazine's 2010 Technology of the Year."
via Automobile Mag.
October 28, 2009
Lithium powered car sets new distance record of 501km
"Tesla Roadster travels 313 miles on a single charge in what appears to be new world record.
"The Tesla Roadster is the first production automobile to use lithium-ion battery cells and the first production EV with a range greater than 200 miles (320 km) per charge. Tesla has delivered about 900 Roadsters to customers so far."
via Autoblog Green.
October 27, 2009
Race heats up over next lithium mine as Mineral Resources backs Reed
"THE race to construct Australia's next lithium mine is heating up with Mineral Resources backing Reed Resources' project.
"The two company's announced today that Mineral Resources will conduct the feasibility study and fund the development of project in Western Australia, to earn a 40 per cent interest in Reed Resources' Marion project in the Goldfields region.
"Mineral Resources plans to mobilise the processing plant and equipment to Reed's Nimbus site in Kalgoorlie by the end of 2010.
"Reed said the agreement was "company making".
""It is possible for production to be fast tracked given the high level of confidence Reed and Mineral Resources has in the resource at the Mount Marion project, that is based on the extensive work carried out by previous owners,'' Reed Resources managing director Chris Reed said."
via The Australian.
August 14, 2009
Electric car mania sparks lithium boom
"Some auto companies are already speculating pure-electric cars could make up 10% of vehicle purchases by 2020, which would put major strain on lithium supplies.
"Little-known lithium has emerged as the hottest commodity of the moment as investors look for a way to cash in on the anticipated flood of electric cars into the marketplace."
via Financial Post
August 13, 2009
Reed eyes Lithium exposure
"WA junior Reed Resources is eyeing an entry into the lithium market after picking up an option to acquire the Mount Marion project in the goldfields."
via The West
July 17, 2009
Encouraging developments in vanadium markets
Leading metals markets information aggregator, Ryans Notes, reported this week that "Rising FeV (ferrovanadium) prices within China have put a damper on China’s FeV exports. In the first five months of the year, China exported 864 mt of FeV compared to 2,634 mt in the same period of 2008. Domestic prices for FeV are $30.20-31.20 per kg compared to $29-29.60 at the start of the month. China’s vanadium pentoxide exports in the first five months of the year sank to 1,461 mt from 7,912 mt in the year-ago period. China’s imports of pentoxide, meanwhile, rose to 180 mt from South Africa in May compared to almost no imports in the first four months of the year."
In May 2009, Reed Resources released the results of its two-year, $15m Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) into the production of vanadium from its Barrambie Vanadium Project in which it forecast EBITDA of A$105m p.a. at a FeV price of US$30/kg and A$300m p.a. at a FeV price of US$50/kg. FeV was trading below US$20/kg when Reed released these results. However, the FeV price has been rising steadily since. The FeV price was trading over US$90/kg at one point in 2008.
In other news, an article in The Australian reported that Japanese steel mills were moving to reopen one of two steel furnaces that were shut down in February as a result of collapsing steel demand and that "Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (has reported ) that steel demand will rise by 12 per cent over the July-September quarter and that crude steel output will increase by 14 per cent."
Finally, in even more good news for vanadium suppliers, in a presentation given at a ferro-alloys conference in Hong Kong in March 2009, Robert Bunting of Stratcor suggested that "if China's use of vanadium per ton of steel matched that of the rest of the world, the vanadium market would expand dramatically".
July 16, 2009
Reed buys Breakaway's Mt Finnerty JV rights
"Breakaway Resources Ltd (ASX:BRW) has sold its earn-in rights for the Mt Finnerty joint venture to Reed Resources Ltd (ASX:RDR) for a total consideration of 500,000 fully paid ordinary shares in RDR.
"Given Breakaway's previously announced strategy of focusing its future exploration activities on its priority projects, and maximising shareholder value for non-core assets, the decision was made to dispose of BRW's interest in the project, whilst retaining exposure to any future upside through a shareholding in RDR."
June 22, 2009
Glencore, Noble eye vanadium project
"Commodities traders Glencore International and Noble Group are thought to head a list of nine parties in the running to buy Windimurra Vanadium’s (WVL) almost-completed mine and plant near Mt Magnet.
"The outcome of the WVL auction is being watched closely by Reed Resources, whose Barrambie vanadium project is just to the north of WVL’s. Reed has placed a $629 million capital cost on developing its project and could attract the attention of unsuccessful WVL bidders."
June 22, 2009
Glencore, Noble eye vanadium project
"Commodities traders Glencore International and Noble Group are thought to head a list of nine parties in the running to buy Windimurra Vanadium’s (WVL) almost-completed mine and plant near Mt Magnet.
"Mr McMaster confirmed yesterday the timetable had slipped because of unexpected high interest in the project, with 55 parties having been through the WVL data room.
"The list is also thought to include Chinese and Indian groups, private equity houses and Russian steel giant Evraz, which owns the Highveld vanadium business in South Africa.
"The outcome of the WVL auction is being watched closely by Reed Resources, whose Barrambie vanadium project is just to the north of WVL’s. Reed has placed a $629 million capital cost on developing its project and could attract the attention of unsuccessful WVL bidders. "
June 16, 2009
Magnetic Super-atoms Discovered
"A team of Virginia Commonwealth University scientists has discovered a ‘magnetic superatom’ – a stable cluster of atoms that can mimic different elements of the periodic table – that one day may be used to create molecular electronic devices for the next generation of faster computers with larger memory storage.
"The newly discovered cluster, consisting of one vanadium and eight cesium atoms, acts like a tiny magnet that can mimic a single manganese atom in magnetic strength while preferentially allowing electrons of specific spin orientation to flow through the surrounding shell of cesium atoms. The findings appear online in the journal Nature Chemistry."
via Science Daily
May 27, 2009
Vanadium battery to be trialled by defence contractor
"Over a year's time, the company will measure how quickly the battery can be charged from electricity produced by the wind turbine, and how quickly energy can then be released, Beltrone said.
"We are hopeful that this test will prove that the technology can be used to make our wind resource more valuable," she said.
"Technology to store electricity for later use is important to the development of wind power because wind-generated electricity is intermittent, which requires that it be quickly replaced on the grid system when the wind isn't blowing, Beltrone said.
"The ability to store electricity would allow for additional notice to grid managers and stabilize the integration of wind power onto the system, she said.
"The vanadium redox battery isn't new technology, she said, but she described Ashlawn's specific research into its capabilities as "cutting edge."
May 26, 2009
Veni, Vidi, Vanadium - The Key to Steel
This is probably one of the better articles on vanadium that we have come across of late. It provides a pretty good introduction to the metal and its markets for those who are unfamiliar with it.
via Seeking Alpha
May 12, 2009
Energy Storage for the Smart Grid
"Adding digital intelligence to the power grid is getting all the attention right now from congress, investors and entrepreneurs, but a next-generation smart grid without energy storage is like a computer without a hard drive: severely limited. Energy stored throughout the grid can provide dispatchable power to address peak power needs, decreasing the use of expensive plants that utilities power up as a last resort when demand spikes, making the network less volatile..."
Vanadium is used in "flow batteries" - which are mentioned in the article.
Read the full article at earth2tech
May 5, 2009
Reed vanadium operation to cost $629m
"Reed today released the results of its definitive feasibility study for Barrambie, which pegged capital costs at $629 million.
"The project would have a mine life of 12 years with an annual production rate of 7,700 tonnes of vanadium, which is used to make high-grade steel.
"Reed says the project has potential to generate earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $105 million each year at a vanadium price of $US30 per kilogram.
"Mr Hicks said the five-year average vanadium price is at $US50/kg.
"Total operating costs have been estimated at just below $US20/kg."
read the complete story at WA Business News
April 29, 2009
Chemists happy when vanadium blue
Imagine a switch that could automatically shut off the sun’s heat coming through your window when it gets too hot – but that would still let in the light.
Now give that switch a name – vanadium dioxide.
“Vanadium oxide is a remarkable material,” says Western chemist Rob Lipson..."
via The University of Western Ontario
January 15, 2009
Vanadium to make Li-ion batteries safer and last longer
Lithium vanadium phosphate fluoride batteries (LVPF) will be safer, last longer and will operate at a very high voltage said Bob Kanode, CEO of Valence Technologies.
Mr Kanode said the LVPF battery is the next generation of Lithium-Phosphate battery during his address at the Deutsche Bank 2009 Auto Analysts of New York Detroit Auto Conference.
Lithium-Phosphate batteries are a type of Li-ion battery. Other types of Li-ion battery have been reported to be susceptible to catching fire. However, as a result of their high energy density and relatively light weight, Li-ion batteries are seen as the most likely power source for future electric vehicles.
Valence holds 243 patents for the production of LVPF batteries and are already building and testing commercial cells.
January 9, 2009
Vanadium as a new form of low cost, high density electronics componentry?
"So new are memristors that nobody has had much time to think about what they might be useful for. That’s changing quickly.
"Now Tom Driscoll and buddies at the University of California, San Diego have shown how memristors could work as low cost, high density memory. It turns out that a thin film of vanadium oxide acts like a memrister when a current is passed through it.
"Driscoll calls it resistive random access memory or RRAM, in which information is stored in the form of material resistance, which can be changed by an applied voltage .
"Expect to hear a lot more about them this year."
January 8, 2009
China to increase vanadium protection and build commodity reserves
"China announced it is building up strategic reserves of copper, chromium, manganese, tungsten, rare earth metals, as well as oil and certain types of coal.
"The country will also strengthen protection on indium, germanium, zirconium and vanadium."
January 3, 2009
US steel industry in collapse, eyes US$1 trillion in government aid
The US steel industry is seeking a massive government investment program of up to US$1 trillion in order to stimulate demand.
This would have significant flow on benefits for vanadium demand.
via AFP
December 30, 2008
Chinas Hebei steel group revises up 2009 output target
It is reported that Chain's Hebei Iron & Steel Group has revised up output target for 2009 on its optimistic view about the market trend in coming months despite the worldwide economic woes at the moment.
December 24, 2008
Reed is bullish on gold
“I’m going to be bullish by saying that within the next six months gold will rise above the $US1000 mark,” said Reed Resources Chairman, Mr David Reed.
December 18, 2008
Wind powered car fleet a boon for vanadium
A professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University has argued strongly that wind power - with a total land turbine footprint of less than three square kilometers - was enough to power the entire U.S. vehicle fleet should they all be electric powered.
Should this type of idea progress, demand for power storage solutions such as those provided by the vanadium redox battery will increase dramatically - not to mention the use of vanadium in the car batteries themselves.
more at RenewableEnergyWorld.com
November 27, 2008
Vanadium Redox Battery manufacturer raises US$10m for market development
Vanadium Redox Battery (VRB) developer, Cellenium (Thailand) Co, has successfully raised US$10m to help commercialise its battery technology.
The company has been working on the technology for two decades and is ramping up to full commercialisation. VRB's are being installed in a new 20mw power plant for a Thai Eco-Village as well as being reviewed for application in mobile phone towers.
via FuelCellWorks
November 20, 2008
Obama stimulus package will require steel and vanadium
All major projects outlined as part of a possible US$150-300 billion stimulus package by the Obama administration will require steel and vanadium in particular.
The projects outlined target roads, bridges, public transit, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
via U.S. News
November 18, 2008
California ups renewable energy targets - more opportunity for vanadium
California has increased its renewable energy targets from 20 per cent to 33 percent by 2020.
The result will be an increase in wind and solar farms which will result in greater demand for power storage solutions such as the vanadium redox battery.
via reuters
November 18, 2008
HighGrade - Accounting for the times
"YOU’D expect the accountant son of a high profile former stockbroker with generations of mining and prospecting in his blood to have a good eye for opportunities. And the funding support for the company he heads earlier this year from a well known and well connected executive gives credence to such an expectation..."
via HighGrade - Drilling deeper for the news
November 12, 2008
Vanadium battery technology makes commercial progress as a storage solution for renewable energy
"Power storage is the means by which most experts see renewable energy expanding its role as a baseload power provider.
"One technology showing some real promise in stabilizing energy distribution in renewable systems is the Vanadium Redox Flow battery."
via triplepundit
October 27, 2008
Vanadium redox battery to power Thai resort
Fuel-cell producer, Cellennium, will supply some of its vanadium-based fuel cells to generate and store electricity for a new resport project. As a result, the project will be able to sell power back to state utilities if output exceeds demand.
The average cost to store power from the grid during off-peak times is just 1.20 baht per unit (kilowatt/hour), while the price that can be earned selling power to the Provincial Electricity Authority would be three baht per unit.
October 7, 2008
Hi-tech vanadium battery for electric cars in production by late 2009
Bollore and Pininfarina (the designers of the Ferrari) have incorporated a cutting edge Lithium Metal Polymer (LMP) battery in their soon to be available B0 electric car.
Vanadium is a critical component of the LMP battery.
Further details on the cars launch at the 2008 Paris Motor Show can be found here.
October 1, 2008
TV News: Big things predicted for the Vanadium Redox Battery
Progress Energy explains why the "revolutionary" Vanadium Redox Battery is perfect for powering the grid of the future.
September 29, 2008
Vanadium - The element that could change the world
An article in "Discover" magazine says that making green energy work may depend on three unlikely heroes: an Australian engineer, a battery, and the element vanadium.
September 24, 2008
Vanadium stars at Subaru
Subaru show off their G4e electric concept vehicle - which can travel 200km on a single charge and recharge to 80% capacity in 15 minutes.
The battery is made of a vandium based material.
Video after the jump...
September 23, 2008
Vanadium stars in new electric concept vehicle
An electric concept vehicle which is expected to be unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show is the latest to use vanadium as part of its battery technology.
The Lithium Metal Polymer battery, developed by Bollore of France, uses vanadium as one of its components and is said to be able to provide a range of 200km from an eight hour recharge from a standard wall socket.
More info at:
September 18, 2008
Reed up as drilling begins
August 19, 2008
Vanadium battery catches the sun and the wind
"When the wind dies down or the sun stops shining at night or during cloudy days, the solar collectors and wind turbines stop working. There is just no cost effective way of storing energy from these sources.
"Not anymore.
"A recent development of energy storage using vanadium electrochemical cells is now about to break into the commercial realm."
July 31, 2008
Vanadium improves solar cell efficiency
A new vanadium based material has been developed by scientists in Spain which improves the efficiency of solar cells from around 30% to over 60%.
via New Scientist
July 29, 2008
Vanadium boride bears fuel cell hopes
ENGINEERS IN THE US have developed a novel kind of fuel cell that can deliver twice the amount of energy as a conventional petrol engine.
According to Stuart Licht, professor of chemistry at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, the vanadium boride (VB2)/air fuel cell stores more energy than petrol and has a capacity that is an order of magnitude higher than that of lithium-ion batteries.
via TCE Today
July 26, 2008
Vanadium based 'fuel battery' could take cars beyond petrol
A new vanadium based battery design is able to store energy twice as dense as petrol - which is a first for rechargable batteries.
The new system would likely have a practical energy capacity of around 5 kilowatt hours per litre. "But that's two-fold higher than the practical storage capacity of gasoline," says Stuart Licht of the University of Massachusetts.
"To date, the biggest technological hurdle facing electric vehicles is their range. Even the best rechargeable batteries cannot match the density of energy stored in a fuel tank."
via New Scientist
July 24, 2008
Vanadium and Reed discussed on HoweStreet.com
"It’s tough to find a good pure play that is easy to buy...
"Some of the best ideas are just in the prospecting stage or emerging as producers. There are a few in Australia, including Windimurra Vanadium and Reed Resources. Both have big vanadium resources and could each eventually represent 6-8 percent of global production."
via HoweStreet.com
July 22, 2008
Vanadium battery with "10 times the energy capacity of lithium"
Stuart Licht and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, US, have developed a vanadium boride-air fuel cell with a much larger energy capacity than current vehicle batteries. 'The cell has ten times the energy capacity of lithium ion batteries and three times the energy density of zinc-air batteries,' says Licht, 'although all these devices work in the same way.'
via RSC Publishing
July 1, 2008
Agora Financial says vanadium is growing more important
“The vanadium market also has some interesting quirks. For example, 98% of the world’s vanadium comes from only three countries — China, Russia and South Africa.
“South Africa, we know, has power issues. China is becoming more a consumer than producer of vanadium. Last year, China ended its export credits for vanadium because it needed the metal more at home. This year, China went further and put an export tariff in place.
“In the great infrastructure boom, vanadium takes its place at the table of other rare and obscure metals that are growing much more important. The price of vanadium, as with many of these metals, is way up… and rising”
via Agora Financial
June 19, 2008
Subaru doubles the battery range on its electric car concept
Range and charging times are the current bugbears of plug-in battery-electric vehicles, and Subaru has taken a strong step forward in this area. Using a new high-capacity vanadium battery material, they are able to load two to three times more lithium ions onto the positive battery terminal, resulting in an energy density about double what was possible on the previous model.
via Gizmag
June 10, 2008
Vanadium battery power storage boosts the power of renewable energy
Pressing concerns about how to integrate large amounts of renewable energy into the grid was the topic at the recently held Electricity Storage Association's Annual Meeting in California. At the meeting, leading companies, manufacturers, utilities and policy developers gathered under the motto "Electricity Storage: Predictable Power in a Cleantech World."snip
...since substantial wind resource capacity is often present at the fringes of existing grids and because fluctuating wind speeds can produce substantial variations in wind energy generation over wide areas, analysts also note that forecasting needs to be combined with rapid-cycle energy storage to smooth intermittency and better integrate renewable resources into the grid.
VRB Power Systems, a Canadian storage company is doing just that. VRB vanadium flow battery technology is already smoothing wind turbine output for remote power hybrid wind-diesel applications in northern Canada and Alaska and providing frequency regulation, voltage support and blackstart capability.
These locations have turned to wind power because electricity costs have become unreasonably high due to the growing costs of diesel generation and to gain the environmental benefits associated with a renewable resource. A VRB flow battery is introduced to the hybrid wind-diesel system to firm up the wind power and to ensure that the generator runs on the most efficient setting. "With the current high cost of diesel in these remote communities, the pay-back for investments in storage is very attractive," said Brian Beck of VRB Power Systems. VRB claims that solar can also be added to this system.
via Renewable Energy World.com
May 29, 2008
Vanadium battery powers sustainable solar system
Like many of the innovations that might supply a clean energy future, a new system unveiled with much fanfare Tuesday morning is nifty but not necessarily coming soon.
With Gov. Charlie Crist and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker in attendance, Progress Energy Florida and the University of South Florida showed off their latest invention: the Sustainable Electric Energy Delivery System, or SEEDS.
Think of it like a bigger, better battery. It could make renewables like wind and solar more reliable by unchaining them from the weather by storing the energy they generate.
SEEDS uses a mix of sulfuric acid and vanadium, a naturally occurring metal. The demonstration system at Albert Whitted Park uses solar panels to feed electricity into a two-sided tank system containing an electrolyte solution. One side has a positive charge and the other a negative charge. Electrodes collect the energy to be stored or delivered.
Progress Energy Florida billed it as a building block toward "smart" grids that links conventional large power plants, conservation management, and home energy systems. Like many energy innovations, this one remains years away from the market.
"You could do this today," explained Jeff Lyash, president and CEO of Progress Energy Florida. "It's not a question of if it's possible. The question is, 'What is the price? What's the performance? What are the maintenance costs?' "
Lyash declined to guess when he'd have the answers.
February 14, 2008
Sand Queen workforce boosted by Tanzanian miners
February 11, 2008
Small is beautiful as gold hits a crunch
"...The other thing to watch is cost. Reed Resources, which is in joint venture with Kingrose Mining at the Sand Queen mine north of Kalgoorlie, reported on Friday that its cash costs were a modest $311/oz. It sold 608oz in its latest deal for $1011/oz."February 8, 2008
Vanadium ends week on strong note, at fresh high since 2005
February 6, 2008
Red-hot vanadium hits highest since 2005 as world's biggest producer restricts deliveries
February 1, 2008
Xstrata's declaration is deeply worrying
January 21, 2008
China iron imports to double over next 6 years - Rio
January 8, 2008
Noble alloys higher in wake of China export tax
December 17, 2007
JPMorgan fund sees winners in minor metals
November 10, 2007
Kingsrose to raise $6m for Sand Queen
November 8, 2007
Vanadium - Creating a Stronger, Lighter U.S. Army
October 24, 2007
Finnerty JV adds to portfolio appeal
October 22, 2007
Critical Metals for the U.S. Civilian and Defence Industries: An Opportunity or Problem?
October 12, 2007
Demand from BRIC Countries to Lead Steel Consumption Growth
October 11, 2007
Fuji Heavy Industries to Exhibit Two Concept Cars
October 5, 2007
Reed Resources - Creating a steel minerals business
September 26, 2007
Titanium supply will be tight through 2010
September 25, 2007
Ferro vanadium hits three-month high of $39/kg
August 17, 2007
Japan eyes rare metals deal with South Africa
June 20, 2007
Maiden resource estimate for new gold discovery
May 21, 2007
The Australian
March 3, 2007
The Australian
February 9, 2006
