Australian Vanadium Limited (AVL) has reached a key milestone in its journey to become Australia’s largest vanadium producer.
The company has used AVL ore to produce 99.9 per cent ultra-high purity vanadium pentoxide at pilot scale.
Ultra-high purity vanadium pentoxide is critical in applications where even the smallest impurities can significantly affect performance.
AVL chief executive officer Graham Arvidson said the results confirm a processing route that can easily be incorporated into the AVL flowsheet, employing well known processing technology that can be readily scaled to meet market demand.
“AVL’s ability to produce 99.9 per cent ultra-high purity vanadium pentoxide, in addition to our 99.5 per cent standard high purity vanadium pentoxide, allows us to further strengthen our competitive advantage in specialised markets in which premium products attract a higher value,” he said.
The work undertaken to achieve ultra-high purity vanadium pentoxide was partly funded through a $3.69 million Australian Government Modern Manufacturing Initiative Translation grant under the National Manufacturing Priority Roadmap.
AVL also worked in conjunction with Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in Sydney to develop a feasible processing route.
“We have been pleased to work with the team at ANSTO and for the support that the Australian Government has provided us in achieving this milestone,” Arvidson said.
“Adding value to vanadium through downstream processing in Australia aligns with the Federal Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy 2023–2030 and helps to keep the value of Australia’s minerals in the country as we transition to a net-zero future.”
AVL is currently developing its Australian Vanadium project, one of the highest grade vanadium projects in the world.
Alongside producing its first vanadium electrolyte last week, AVL has also successfully commissioned its vanadium electrolyte manufacturing facility that completed construction in December.
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