Vanadium does not get fairly as a lot consideration as different vital and battery metals, however it ought to.
Proof against breakdown from each acid and salt, it provides appreciable power, warmth resistance and toughness to metal when alloyed. Unsurprisingly, these traits have made vanadium a vital mineral for protection purposes, notably as vanadium want solely be current in small quantities to impart its advantages. For the previous twenty years, demand for the metallic within the metal sector has steadily elevated. With the current push for clear power and net-zero emissions, that demand is ready to rise exponentially.
Australian Vanadium (ASX:AVL, FRA:JT71, OTC:ATVVF), which holds one of the vital superior high-grade vanadium deposits on this planet, has positioned vital deal with growing its Australian Vanadium Undertaking, a high-grade vanadium, titanium and iron useful resource located roughly 43 kilometers south of the mining city of Meekatharra in Western Australia.
Vanadium’s potential goes effectively past development metal. The metallic can be used extensively in a number of industries, together with aerospace, protection and as a chemical catalyst. What’s most notable, nonetheless, is vanadium’s standing as a battery metallic, particularly one fitted to long-term, large-scale power storage.
On no account a brand new expertise, the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) was first invented in 1984 on the College of New South Wales in Australia. Early VRFBs needed to be the scale of roughly one to 2 basketball courts to adequately carry out, however the expertise has been refined through the years since and right now’s VRFBs are solely a 3rd of the scale of their colossal predecessors, with a considerably greater power capability.
As companies and governments search battery storage for large-scale use instances, demand is predicted to extend additional, with the VRFB market accounting for greater than ten p.c of all vanadium manufacturing by the tip of 2023. Demand for vanadium is predicted to double by 2032, with 90 p.c of this demand pushed by VRFBs.
Australian Vanadium can be working to domesticate Australia’s burgeoning VRFB market, by way of its wholly owned subsidiary VSUN Energy. VSUN Vitality’s present tasks embody the set up of a VRFB to energy an industrial chlorinator, as a standalone energy system for a bore pump at a serious nickel mission, and to energy the techniques at an orchard in Victoria. VSUN Vitality can be consulting with a number of main mining purchasers.
The key element of a VRFB is vanadium electrolyte. This answer of vanadium combined with acid and water will likely be manufactured by AVL at a facility being constructed within the Perth area.
Each VSUN Vitality and the AVL are a part of Australian Vanadium’s vertically built-in technique, by way of which it intends to help each stage of VRFB manufacturing. This may, the corporate maintains, give it the flexibility to not solely produce the world’s highest-quality vanadium, but in addition tailor that vanadium to its prospects’ wants.
Positioned in Western Australia’s Murchison Province, the Australian Vanadium Undertaking (AVL) consists of 15 tenements protecting roughly 200 sq. kilometers. Upon completion, the mission will encompass an open reduce mine and a processing plant close to the port metropolis of Geraldton. Australian Vanadium can be developing an electrolyte manufacturing facility which is slated to start manufacturing within the latter a part of 2023.
Located in Perth, the 33MWh each year plant will leverage confirmed expertise sourced from US Vanadium LLC. Australian Vanadium has accomplished an in depth design schematic and ordered lengthy lead gear for the plant.
As one of many world’s most superior in-development vanadium tasks, the AVL Undertaking has nationwide strategic significance to Australia’s vital mineral provide chains. To that finish, the mission has been acknowledged by each the Australian federal authorities and the Western Australian authorities, receiving a number of grants for a mixed whole of roughly $49 million.
The AVL deposit consists of a basal huge magnetite zone overlaid by 5 lower-grade mineralized magnetite-banded gabbro items, every of which is between 5 and 30 meters thick. Vanadium mineralization will be present in each the huge magnetite horizon and the lower-grade gabbro horizons. The deposit is additional divided into kilometer-scale blocks by a sequence of regional scale faults; the blocks present little signal of inside deformation and powerful consistency in layering.
In late April 2023, Australian Vanadium’s processing plant was approved by the city of Greater Geraldton, pushing the crushing, milling and beneficiation plant one step nearer to commencing development. As soon as accomplished, the plant together with the mine will present high-purity vanadium oxide and an iron-titanium co-product.
Undertaking Highlights:
- Authorities-recognized: In recognition of its nationwide significance, the AVL Undertaking was awarded Federal Main Undertaking Standing by the Australian authorities in September 2019. It was additionally awarded State Lead Company Standing by the Western Australian Authorities in April 2020.
- Promising Feasibility Research Outcomes: In keeping with a bankable feasibility examine launched on April 6, 2022, the mission contains 239 million tons (Mt) at 0.73 percent vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) consisting of:
- measured mineral useful resource of 11.3 Mt at 1.14 p.c V2O5
- indicated mineral useful resource of 82.4 Mt at 0.70 p.c V2O5
- inferred mineral useful resource of 145.3 Mt at 0.71 p.c V2O5
- Excessive-grade Magnetite: Australian Vanadium’s preliminary evaluation of the mission additionally signifies the presence of a definite huge magnetite high-grade zone of 95.6 Mt at 1.07 p.c V2O5.
- Different Minerals: Along with vanadium, the AVL mission additionally accommodates estimated cobalt, nickel and copper sources.
- Broad Focus: Relatively than solely focusing on the battery market, Australian Vanadium intends to serve all sectors that require the vital metallic. This contains the metal, titanium master-alloy, aerospace and specialty chemical substances markets.
- Sustainable Manufacturing: Australian Vanadium intends to function its mine ethically and with a low-carbon footprint by way of the usage of photo voltaic and wind era together with electrical or green-hydrogen-fueled automobiles.
- Longevity and Scalability: As soon as operational, the mine can have an estimated lifespan of greater than 25 years, whereas the configuration of the processing facility will enable the corporate to shortly scale manufacturing as crucial.
Administration Workforce
Cliff Lawrenson – Non-executive Chair
Cliff Lawrenson has greater than 10 years of expertise as a non-executive chair and non-executive director in each private and non-private corporations. He’s presently non-executive chair of Paladin Vitality Ltd (ASX:PDN) and Caspin Sources (ASX:CPN) and non-executive chair of privately owned Pacific Vitality Restricted and Onsite Rental Group.
Lawrenson was managing director of Atlas Iron Ltd from 2017 and led the corporate to its acquisition by Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd. Previous to Atlas Iron, Lawrenson served as managing director of numerous ASX-listed corporations within the mining and mining providers sectors. Lawrenson was additionally a senior government of CMS Vitality Company in the USA of America and Singapore, preceded by an funding banking profession.
Graham Arvidson – Chief Government Officer
Graham Arvidson has 18 years of expertise within the minerals sector spanning feasibility, analysis, profitable growth and operation of mineral property globally and throughout a broad vary of commodities together with deep expertise in vanadium, lithium, nickel and different future-focused battery metals.
Arvidson has confirmed mission growth experience, a deep Western Australian mission growth community particular to mining, industrial acumen borne of managing contracts from each the consumer and contractor facet and in depth mission administration expertise in tendering, negotiation, conforming and managing O&M, EPC, EPCM, EPC-O and BOO types of mission supply.
Todd Richardson – Chief Working Officer
Todd Richardson BSc ChE MBA is an professional in vanadium course of design, commissioning and operations with over 20 years’ expertise in vanadium. He has an intensive background in operations administration and technical providers each within the USA and Australia in all phases of plant operation – course of design by way of commissioning, ramp up and operation. Richardson leads the event of AVL’s world-class vanadium mission.
Tom Plant – Chief Monetary Officer
Tom Plant is a seasoned chartered accountant and finance government with virtually 30 years of expertise in varied company and industrial roles. He has a robust background in debt and fairness funding options, funding analysis and company transactions. Plant lately served as interim CFO at Leo Lithium, which developed the Goulamina Lithium Undertaking in Mali. Previous to that, he was the CFO at Firefinch and spent 10 years at world mineral sands and uncommon earths producer Iluka Sources. He held varied positions in funding banking {and professional} providers with Macquarie Group, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Arthur Andersen.
Daniel Harris – Technical Director
Daniel Harris is a vanadium business veteran and has an understanding of the useful resource sector from each a technical and monetary perspective. He’s presently non-executive director of US Vanadium LLC, Queensland Vitality & Minerals (ASX:QEM) and Flinders Mines (ASX:FMS). He’s an advisory board member and vanadium guide for Blackrock Metals.
Earlier roles embody interim CEO and managing director at Atlas Iron; chief government & working officer at Atlantic; vice-president and head of vanadium property at Evraz Group; managing director at Vametco Alloys; normal supervisor of vanadium operations at Strategic Minerals Corp and appearing as an unbiased technical and government guide to GSA Environmental Restricted in the UK.
Miriam Stanborough – Non-executive Director
Miriam Stanborough is a chemical engineer with over 20 years of expertise within the mineral processing business throughout a variety of commodities. She has held senior roles at Monadelphous, Iluka Sources, Alcoa and WMC Sources. Her talent base spans innovation and expertise, technical growth, manufacturing administration, mission administration, enterprise enchancment and folks and tradition.
Stanborough is presently a non-executive director of Pilbara Minerals Restricted (ASX:PLS), BCI Minerals Restricted (ASX:BCI), chair of the Minerals Analysis Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), deputy chair of the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC), and a director of Scouts WA.
Peter Watson – Non-executive Director
Peter Watson is a chemical engineer with 40 years of expertise in senior technical, mission and administration roles along with company expertise operating ASX-listed corporations. He has vital board-level expertise, notably concerning security, governance, monetary reporting, danger administration and technique.
Watson is presently a non-executive director of Paladin Vitality Ltd (ASX:PDN), New Century Sources (ASX:NCZ) and Strandline Sources Restricted (ASX:STA).
Neville Bassett – Firm Secretary
Neville Bassett is a Chartered Accountant working his personal company consulting enterprise, specializing within the space of company, monetary and administration advisory providers. Bassett has been concerned with quite a few public firm listings and capital raisings.
His involvement within the company area has additionally taken in mergers and acquisitions and contains vital information and publicity to the Australian monetary markets.
Bassett has a wealth of expertise in issues pertaining to the Companies Act, ASX itemizing necessities, company taxation and finance. He’s a director or firm secretary of numerous private and non-private corporations.
Louis Mostert – Chief Authorized and Compliance Officer, Joint Firm Secretary
Louis Mostert has over 20 years of expertise in mission contracting and finance, company advisory, mergers and acquisitions, insurance coverage administration, dispute decision, work well being and security, employment and industrial relations, mental property, company governance and compliance.
Mostert graduated from the College of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) and a Bachelor of Legal guidelines (Hons) and has a Diploma of Utilized Company Governance from the Governance Institute of Australia. He’s admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Courtroom of Western Australia, a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries, a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and a member of the Institute of Firm Administrators.
Samantha McGahan – VSUN Vitality Supervisor
Samantha McGahan BEd (Hons) GAICD has over 25 years expertise in a various vary of industries spanning training, regulation and expertise. She has led the event of VSUN Vitality since 2016 and fosters a robust community in each vanadium and power markets. Samantha is skilled in advertising and leads each AVL and VSUN Vitality’s social media and advertising methods.