Cost analysis of large-scale all-vanadium energy storage

Can a vanadium flow battery be used in large-scale energy storage?

Performance optimization and cost reduction of a vanadium flow battery (VFB) system is essential for its commercialization and application in large-scale energy storage. However, developing a VFB stack from lab to industrial scale can take years of experiments due to the influence of complex factors, from key materials to the battery architecture.

Which energy storage technologies are included in the 2020 cost and performance assessment?

The 2020 Cost and Performance Assessment provided installed costs for six energy storage technologies: lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, lead-acid batteries, vanadium redox flow batteries, pumped storage hydro, compressed-air energy storage, and hydrogen energy storage.

Are there cost comparison sources for energy storage technologies?

There exist a number of cost comparison sources for energy storage technologies For example, work performed for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provides cost and performance characteristics for several different battery energy storage (BES) technologies (Mongird et al. 2019).

How long does an energy storage system last?

The 2020 Cost and Performance Assessment analyzed energy storage systems from 2 to 10 hours. The 2022 Cost and Performance Assessment analyzes storage system at additional 24- and 100-hour durations.

Why are energy storage technologies undergoing advancement?

Energy storage technologies are undergoing advancement due to significant investments in R&D and commercial applications. For example, work performed for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provides cost and performance characteristics for several different battery energy storage (BES) technologies (Mongird et al. 2019). Figure 26.

What is the world's largest vanadium flow battery?

Rongke Power in Dalian, China, is building the world’s largest vanadium flow battery, 200MW/800MWh, which will provide peak-load-shifting and should come online in 2020 (Service 2018). Rongke also built a VRFB “gigafactory” in Dalian in 2016 which is designed to produce as much as 3 GWh of batteries a year.