Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has reached an agreement to supply a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB *1) to Boggabri Coal Mine through Idemitsu Australia Pty. Ltd. (Idemitsu Australia), the Australian subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Idemitsu).
Idemitsu Australia has already introduced a solar power generation facility at the operating Boggabri Coal Mine to promote Green Transformation (GX*2). To further increase the share of renewable energy, the company will now deploy a 2 MW × 6.3 hours (12.6 MWh) VRFB system.
This project aims to optimize the mine’s power supply and promote decarbonization by storing electricity from both the grid and the solar facility during the day, and utilizing the stored energy at night.
At sites handling combustible resources, such as coal mines, a high level of safety is paramount. VRFBs, which contain no flammable materials and have no risk of thermal runaway, are recognized for their outstanding safety compared to other battery technologies. This advantage led to the adoption of Sumitomo Electric’s VRFB for the project.
The electrolyte used in this project will be supplied by Vecco Group Pty. Ltd. (51% owned by an affiliate of Idemitsu Australia; headquartered in Queensland), which promotes vanadium mining development and manufactures vanadium electrolyte at its Townsville facility in Queensland.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the mining industry, one of Australia’s core sectors, remains a critical challenge on the path toward achieving net zero by 2050. Through this project, Sumitomo Electric will enhance its expertise in sustainable mining within the framework of GX*2, and will seek to expand the initiative to other mining sites, while further promoting the establishment of a local supply chain in Australia.
