{"id":882,"date":"2025-11-27T01:21:25","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T01:21:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/?p=882"},"modified":"2025-11-27T01:21:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T01:21:25","slug":"western-australia-seeks-local-vanadium-for-500mwh-kalgoorlie-battery-storage-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/2025\/11\/27\/western-australia-seeks-local-vanadium-for-500mwh-kalgoorlie-battery-storage-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Western Australia seeks local vanadium for 500MWh Kalgoorlie battery storage project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Western Australian government has launched the first stage of an Expression of Interest (EOI) process for a 50MW\/500MWh vanadium flow battery energy storage system (VBESS) in Kalgoorlie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Energy and Economic Diversification (DEED) opened the EOI process on 24 November, and will remain open for submissions until 30 January 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The VBESS project, backed by AU$150 million (US$97 million) in funding from the Cook Labor government, is part of a commitment to enhance power reliability in the Eastern Goldfields region while advancing Western Australia\u2019s clean energy transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the government, the system is designed to deliver a 10-hour discharge capability, making it one of the longest-duration battery energy storage installations in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Energy and decarbonisation minister Amber-Jade Sanderson emphasised the project\u2019s dual role in boosting power reliability in the Goldfields while supporting Western Australia\u2019s clean energy objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to partner with industry to deliver local content, great jobs, and real value for Western Australia. A locally made and sourced vanadium flow battery will create jobs during construction, deliver improved energy resilience for the region and complement other planned upgrades in the Goldfields region,\u201d Sanderson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eastern Goldfields region, which contributes approximately AU$19 billion annually to Western Australia\u2019s economy, has faced reliability challenges in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extended power outages caused by faults in the transmission network and suboptimal performance of backup generators have highlighted the need for robust energy infrastructure, the government said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The VBESS is designed to address these challenges by providing long-duration storage that supports the region\u2019s decarbonisation efforts and industrial growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vanadium flow battery project slated for completion in 2029<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The EOI process is structured in two stages. Stage one focuses on assessing market capabilities and gathering insights to inform the criteria for the subsequent phase. This initial stage is not a formal procurement process but aims to identify industry readiness and capacity to deliver the VBESS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respondents are required to provide detailed information about their organisational structure, experience in the vanadium and energy industries and their proposed approach to delivering the VBESS or supporting the local vanadium flow battery supply chain. Stage one assessment will commence in February 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stage two, scheduled for March to April 2026, will involve detailed business case evaluations to select a preferred proponent for the project. The successful respondent will be responsible for building, owning and operating the VBESS, with project completion targeted for 2029.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stage two assessment is scheduled for May 2026, with the preferred respondent negotiations expected to commence in either June or July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government has indicated that financial support will be tied to the achievement of agreed project milestones and deliverables, to attract additional private investment into the local vanadium battery supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The VBESS specifications require the use of vanadium flow battery technology manufactured in Western Australia, utilising locally sourced and processed vanadium. This aligns with the state\u2019s Battery and Critical Minerals Strategy 2024-30, which prioritises vanadium extraction and processing as key sectors for development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western Australia hosts some of the world\u2019s largest vanadium deposits, and the government has reduced royalties on vanadium products from 5% to 2.5% to support the industry\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vanadium flow batteries are particularly suited to Western Australia\u2019s operating environment due to their durability, scalability and ability to maintain performance in high temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These characteristics make the technology ideal for the harsh conditions of the Goldfields region, where long-duration storage is critical for supporting renewable energy integration and system reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, vanadium flow batteries present a lower fire risk compared to other technologies and offer recyclability of their electrolyte, further enhancing their appeal for utility-scale applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boosting local vanadium supply chains in Western Australia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The VBESS project also aligns with the state\u2019s Made in WA plan, which aims to catalyse local manufacturing capabilities and ensure that businesses, workers, and communities benefit from the energy transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respondents to the EOI are encouraged to outline their approach to local industry participation, including investments in a vanadium flow battery supply chain and partnerships with local businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kalgoorlie VBESS builds on Western Australia\u2019s growing experience with vanadium battery technology. Horizon Power has already installed a vanadium flow battery in Kununurra as part of its microgrid trials<\/a>, demonstrating the technology\u2019s potential in remote and hot climates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The VBESS project is expected further to validate the commercial viability of utility-scale vanadium flow batteries and provide a model for deploying LDES technologies across the South West Interconnected System (SWIS)<\/a>, Western Australia\u2019s main power grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SWIS, often described as the world\u2019s largest isolated power system, is undergoing a significant transition from coal-fired generation to renewables supplemented by gas and storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utility-scale battery storage is increasingly important for capturing abundant solar energy during the day and discharging it during evening peak demand. The Kalgoorlie VBESS, with its extended discharge duration, will support this transition by enabling greater integration of renewable energy and enhancing system stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project is also expected to catalyse growth in Western Australia\u2019s emerging vanadium industry, creating opportunities across the supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested parties can submit stage one responses electronically to VBESS@deed.wa.gov.au<\/a>. The DEED will assess submissions and provide details about the next stages of the EOI process, which will include negotiations with the preferred respondent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Western Australian government has launched the first stage of an Expression of Interest (EOI)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-company","category-project"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=882"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":884,"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/882\/revisions\/884"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.esplaza.com.cn\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}