Ruqayyah Snyder
Vanadium is a naturally occurring metallic element that is found in mineralised deposits. It is not found in its metallic form in nature but occurs in more than 60 minerals as a trace element in a range of rock types. Vanadium is found in Australia, with Queensland having some of the richest vanadium deposits in the world. There are several vanadium projects in Australia, including the Australian Vanadium Project in Western Australia, which is expected to process up to 900,000 tonnes per annum of vanadium pentoxide over its mine life.
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What You'll Learn
Vanadium deposits in Queensland
Queensland has some of the world's richest vanadium deposits. The metal is found in mineralised deposits in the state, with the deposits in the Julia Creek area of North Western Queensland being recognised as one of the largest single vanadium deposits in the world. Queensland has one of the world's largest known resources for vanadium, with several companies currently looking to mine this metal in the North West Mineral Province.
The Saint Elmo Vanadium Project, located near Julia Creek, started construction in 2022 and commenced production in 2023. Vecco also mines and refines vanadium in Queensland, with a new mining site in Julia Creek. QEM Limited (ASX: QEM) is an Australian mining company focused on the exploration and development of the Julia Creek Vanadium and Energy Project. The company has tenements covering 250km² in the area and is committed to the exploration and development of resources with potential applications in the battery market, liquid fuels sector, and steel industry.
The Queensland government has shown active support for critical minerals projects. In February 2024, the government announced $570 million in new and existing investments to deliver clean economy jobs in battery technologies and manufacturing. In June 2023, the Premier announced a $245 million investment in the sector, including the establishment of critical mineral zones at Julia Creek/Richmond and around Mount Isa.
Vanadium is a naturally occurring metallic element that is durable yet soft and pliant. It is used in the construction industry to strengthen steel alloys, making them shock and vibration-proof. It has been used in major construction projects worldwide, including the Birds Nest stadium in Beijing, Wembley Stadium in London, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, and the Freedom Tower in New York City. Vanadium is also used in the production of ceramics, electronics, textile dyes, fertilisers, synthetic rubber, welding, and alloys for nuclear engineering and superconductors.
Vanadium is in high demand for its use in creating batteries that can store large amounts of energy for extended periods, making it an essential component of Queensland's renewable energy strategy. The state aims to use 50% renewable energy by 2030, and vanadium redox flow batteries will play a crucial role in achieving this target.
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Australian Vanadium Project
The Australian Vanadium Project, previously known as Gabanintha, is an open-pit vanadium mine being developed near Meekatharra in Western Australia. The project is owned and operated by Australian Vanadium Limited (AVL) and is expected to be a globally significant primary vanadium producer. The project has a pre-tax net present value of A$833 million (US$621.1 million) and an equity internal rate of return of over 20%.
The Australian Vanadium Project is one of the largest and highest-grade vanadium deposits being developed globally. The project will utilise conventional open-pit mining methods along with selective mining techniques. The open-pit extends for 3,250m along strike and is proposed to be mined in three stages. The first stage will extend 1,100m along strike and will be divided into 200m-wide benches. The major mining fleet will consist of 120t backhoe excavators and rigid frame dump trucks.
The processing facility at the Australian Vanadium Project will have a capacity of 1.45Mtpa. Ore will be hauled to the run-of-mine (ROM) pad and fed into the concentrator, where it will be crushed, ground, and concentrated to produce a magnetic concentrate. The magnetic concentrate will then undergo a floatation process to recover minerals such as cobalt, nickel, and copper in sulphide. The refined vanadium will be packed into bags and transported to the port of Fremantle.
The Australian Vanadium Project is expected to create 500 construction jobs and 240 permanent jobs. Construction was planned to commence in 2021, with the first vanadium production expected in 2022. The project has an anticipated initial life of 25 years, with an estimated investment of $354 million. The project is strategically positioned to provide an ethically sourced and scalable supply of vanadium to global steel, battery, and critical metals markets.
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Vanadium in batteries
Vanadium is used in the production of vanadium redox batteries (VRB), also known as vanadium flow batteries (VFB) or vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB). These batteries are rechargeable and are typically used for grid energy storage, attached to power plants or electrical grids.
The development of the vanadium redox battery can be traced back to the 1930s when Pissoort first mentioned the possibility of VRFBs. However, it was not until the 1980s that Maria Skyllas-Kazacos and her team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) successfully demonstrated the first all-vanadium redox flow battery, using dissolved vanadium in a solution of sulfuric acid.
The vanadium redox battery uses vanadium's ability to exist in four different oxidation states, allowing for a battery with a single electroactive element. The battery operates by using vanadium ions as charge carriers, and the electrolytes can be prepared by dissolving vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) in sulfuric acid (H2SO4). The membrane of the battery allows protons to pass through while keeping electrons and other ions separate, creating charge separation and voltage.
Vanadium flow batteries offer several advantages over other types of batteries. They have a long lifespan, with a single VFB delivering up to three times the lifetime throughput of a comparably-sized lithium battery. They are also safe, dependable, and economical, with no degradation over 25 years of use. Additionally, they have a fast response to changing loads and high overload capacities.
Despite these advantages, vanadium flow batteries have traditionally been considered second-best to lithium-ion batteries due to their lower energy density. However, vanadium flow batteries have gained attention for their use in stationary energy applications, particularly in capturing excess renewable energy. Companies such as Invinity Energy Systems have installed hundreds of vanadium flow batteries worldwide, including a 5 MW array in Oxford, England, connected to the national energy grid.
In Australia, the development of vanadium projects has increased in anticipation of high future demand for vanadium in battery storage technology. One notable project is the Australian Vanadium Project, an open-pit vanadium mine located in Meekatharra, Western Australia. The project is expected to have a significant impact on the global vanadium battery market, with an anticipated initial life of 25 years and the ability to process up to 900,000 tonnes per annum of vanadium pentoxide.
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Vanadium in steel
Vanadium is a vital component of steel, and the vanadium market is closely linked to the steel industry. Vanadium is used in steel-making slags, and nearly all of the world's vanadium is derived from mineral concentrates separated from mined ore.
Vanadium is a trace element found in a range of rock types, including titaniferous magnetite deposits, uraniferous sandstone, siltstone, bauxite, and phosphorite. It is also present in fossil fuels such as crude oil, coal, and tar sands.
Vanadium is an essential alloying element in steel, improving its hardness, wear resistance, and strength. Vanadium forms stable compounds with carbon and nitrogen, and the interaction between these elements determines the properties of vanadium-containing steels. Vanadium contents in steels typically range from 0.03% to 0.10%, but can go higher, depending on the specific application and final microstructure of the steel component.
There are two main groups of vanadium alloyed steels: vanadium high-carbon steel alloys, containing 0.15% to 0.25% vanadium, and high-speed tool steels (HSS). HSS steel is used in surgical instruments and tools and can achieve a hardness above HRC 60 (Rockwell hardness). Vanadium alloyed steels with up to 18% vanadium content are available and are used in applications requiring very high hardness and wear resistance, such as tools and knives.
Vanadium also contributes to grain refinement and temper resistance in heat-treated steels. Fine grains provide toughness and strength, while temper resistance results in higher strength and hardness after tempering. In micro-alloyed steels, vanadium is one of the primary contributors to precipitation strengthening, and it promotes the formation of smaller carbides, which improves the toughness of the steel.
The addition of vanadium to steel improves its yield strength and tensile strength, making it suitable for various applications, including axles, bicycle frames, crankshafts, gears, and other critical components.
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Vanadium in fossil fuels
Vanadium is a trace metal found in many earth materials, including fossil fuels like petroleum and coal. It is emitted as particulate matter when these materials are burned and can also be released as accidental or "fugitive" emissions during mining, extraction, and processing.
The presence of vanadium in fossil fuels, particularly crude oil, coal, and tar sands, is well-documented. Vanadium is released into the atmosphere through the extraction and combustion of these fossil fuels. Human emissions of vanadium, primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels, have significantly impacted the vanadium cycle, exceeding natural emissions by a factor of up to 1.7. This impact is likely to increase as the use of heavy oils, tar sands, and bitumen becomes more prevalent.
The combustion of fossil fuels, particularly heavy-petroleum fuels, is a significant contributor to vanadium emissions. Research has shown that the use of unconventional heavy-petroleum fuels has led to a rapid rise in vanadium emissions. This impact on the vanadium cycle is greater than that of lead or mercury emissions, which have received more attention.
The high vanadium content in fossil fuels is influenced by various factors, including organic-matter type, organisms, volcanic emanations, diffusion of seawater, and epigenetic enrichment. However, these factors alone cannot fully explain the varying levels of vanadium abundance in different fossil fuels. By studying vanadium deposits in sedimentary rocks with sparse organic matter, researchers can better understand the processes controlling vanadium accumulation in organic-rich sediments.
While developed countries have made improvements in capturing particulate flux from fossil fuel combustion, this is offset by increased emissions in developing countries and the lack of emissions regulations for certain fuel types in some developed nations. As a result, human activities, particularly the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, have significantly altered the vanadium cycle and increased vanadium emissions into the atmosphere.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, vanadium is found in Australia. Queensland, for example, has some of the richest vanadium deposits in the world.
Vanadium is used in the production of ceramics, electronics, textile dyes, fertilisers, synthetic rubber, welding, and alloys used in nuclear engineering and superconductors.
The Australian Vanadium Project is an open-pit vanadium mine being developed near Meekatharra in Western Australia. The project is expected to process up to 900,000 tonnes per annum of vanadium pentoxide over its mine life.
The project was found to be bankable in 2022, with construction slated to commence in the fourth quarter of 2023.
The USGS reported an average price of vanadium pentoxide in September 2017 at US$5.05 per pound.
