Roundtable Discussion; The Future of Mineral Sands. Watch the video here.
I have written the following to the Minister for energy, Anne-Marie Trevelyan:-
Dear Ms Trevelyan , Dungeness power station shuts in blow to Net Zero-Headline today
I read the above today in the Telegraph. A problem? No! This presents a superb opportunity to a forward-looking and thinking Government.
The beauty of Nuclear is energy on tap, but at an environmental long-term cost.
How to replace energy on tap, and inexpensively. May I commend to you the very safe, long- term and reliable alternative of large batteries, but CERTAINLY NOT Lithium-Ion batteries which degrade after only 1000 cycles of charge /discharge, are highly flammable, unsuitable on a grid scale for any sane society and present an environmental disposal problem for the future.
There is abundant wind and tidal power in the U.K. and even sometimes a lot of solar energy!
Fortunately, there is a very fine alternative to L-I batteries in the form of Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries, which are basically containers full of water- based electrolyte and which are good for 20-25 years. Almost innumerable cycles of charge/discharge and capable of doing doth at once. Not much heard of, yet, but the coming thing in energy storage. Ideal for grid-scale storage and able to deliver immediate supply of power upon demand, no matter how irregular is that demand.
There is a little company, AIM listed, Jersey based, developing such batteries and assisting other companies in expanding VRFBs. The company is Bushveld Minerals Limited which has supported the creation of Invinity Energy Systems plc-suggest you google them- and Bushveld is building the largest free world factory for the production of the necessary Electrolyte, near Port Elizabeth in South Africa.
A forward looking Government, wishing to lead the world in Green energy to replace fossil fuels cannot afford to close its eyes to this opportunity arising out of a problem. China is presently leading the world in espousing VRFBs. I invite your government to consider this nuclear plant closure as an ideal chance to show the World the way forward.
yours truly
I wonder whether a huge bank of VRFBs could replace a nuclear power plant? Those more scientific than I might comment.
KN
Alfa, Thank you for your clarification of the risk posed by Manganese batteries. Good to have your comment, on here.!
What the heck anyway ? BE is or will be very welcome as an addition to the core business.
In any event the world still needs Vanadium for strengthening steel and BMN are digging up and processing and selling twice as much , or more, than previously and selling it at a price at least 60% up on previous prices, with further increases in production/sales already provided for.
BG-Like it: but would not think we are suffering at the hands of Fortune. Rather the reverse!!
KN
See https://solar-media.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/ESSUS21/Post%20Show%20Report/ESUSA%202021%20Post%20Show%20Report.pdf
If you scroll down there is a snippet in the report saying the US Dof E supports Flow battery storage. Sadly not buying full report but that simple headline foretells great expansion of demand for V as well as its electrolyte
In addition IES has today posted a RNS about Caifornia Energy Commission working with them to provide VRFBs in a safety context . They are up 7.5p-about 5% . What is good for them is great for whoever supplies them with Vanadium product. Remind me who does this -- Oh yes we have a first supplier agreement, so what is good for IES is good for us.
Enough of this negativity. ! This is a good share with sound fundamentals and in the last quarter production per day up 40% after the necessary maintenance shutdown. The only way this company is going is onwards and upwards.
When will the market wake up. In the vernacular bu**** them! Fill your boots now while stocks last!
Just my opinion-If I had more cash I know where it will grow best.
Dave-Nowhwere near adequate more like!
KN
So, if there is a great big pile/pond of Iron ore waiting to be sold and the price is greater than $150/ton. How much is the stockpile worth? What sort of additional income could one derive from selling it to a third party, especially when China seems not to like Australian ore
KN
aka Muppet
Answer to your leading question-- No there are not. Not in the free world . Russia may be self sufficient. China is now a large importer-Indeed BMN supply them. Inthe Free world there are only Largo in Brazil-only 8years life left in their mine , Bushveld has 2 of the 4 ( including Largo) resources in the free world ( good for the next 50 years at least)and apparently there is one other whose whereabouts I do not know. Thus the upcoming inevitable increase in demand , just for steel, ignoring the HUGE prospects for VRFBs, is bound to benefit BMN throiugh higher prices and its planned expansion of production. Sammy is spot on-no brainer! Come back Alfa and confirm. We genuine posters miss you!
KN
The RNS is good news on more fronts than certainly some pessimistic posters realise.
1. Another player is recognising the prospects for VRFBs and making substantial investment to back its view
2. Another good deal by FM provoking enlarged capacity in the best VRFB tchnology around at a time when South Africa must be about to place orders for VRFBs
3. Such enlarged capacity is substantially backed by a SA company-Bushveld and so Enerox must be better placed to sell to whoever will own the storage in SA
4. The investment , as Knuttie has analysed proves the value of BE's investment in the same company has doubled ++.
5. The prospect of Enerox having a value increase when it achieve's greater market penetration for which it is now better equipped , rather like the value hike of IES, means the value of BMN's stake via BE is likely to increase
6. All news in the VRFB sector which procures greater attention to it , is good news
7. As Enerox expands its production , presumably the Electrolyte from BMN's half owned facility near Port Elizabeth becomes more important
8. As that elelctrolyte is more used there will be an increase in the leasing opportunities which = prospect of profit for BMN
9. Expansion of enerox= greater demand for vanadium from the ground. Where from ? one wonders. Matters not really as it will sustain the market price of Vanadium = profit for BMN
10. If the RNS cheers up Pdub, then that in itself is a good cause to celebrate and I am sure we all send him best wishes in his fight.
11. If a pessimistic poster cannot see the benefit of this development he should visit specsavers for strong glasses to cure short-sight!
KN
Don't know whether previously posted -apologies if so, but worth a second posting anyway -see
https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/south-africa-has-opportunity-to-win-back-lost-share-of-global-vanadium-market-bushveld-2021-03-16/rep_id:4136
Jags dish-
Me too
KN
BBN -Brilliant . Refreshing to have such a knowledgeable post. And it shows where this great company is headed, based on a conservative estimate.
KN
All this silly discussion of SP is crass , stupid, counterproductive and plays into the hands of those who wish to depress the price for their own greedy purposes. Withall due respect why not all shut up moaning?
If you dont like it sell and leave proper PIs in peace. If you are a proper shareholder in a Company , which remember is so-called because it is a compnay of members, why shoot yourself in the foot by all this negative whingeing. Grow up and suffer in silence. That way you will not discourage buyers. Big bagger-No there is no bad news about this wonderful little company -apart from having whingeing shareholders.
I expect people will say to me , "who are you to boss the board", I do not seek to do so but whingeing gets you nowhere. A proper member of a company wants it to succeed , so when you see a whinge , consider , what is the motive.
If you have a gripe, address it to the directors by writing to the company . Do not come on the board unless from a knowledgeable position And if you don't like the company's performance , simple, sell up , take your medicine and go.
KN- apologies for being a little aggravated but this is a great and growing company for those with patience.
If you have waited through the bad times it is daft to sell just when VRFBs are getting traction, when the Vanadium price has recovered and when the company's figures are sure as the good Lord made little fishes to be spectacularly better to such an extent that even the bent market which is AIM will not be able to hold back the flood of buyers .
Patience mes braves!! You have held through thin times . The good times are just about to come.
Only my opinion . I too wish for progress but am optimistic-more than previously
Perhaps they will replace with VRFBs now!
How many more fires are needed?
Sagt mir wo die blumen sind, springs to mind
KN
No worries
Bit like New York-
So good we did it twice!
Apologies for not excluding the Silicon valley bit-ignore that
rest of article;-
But steel alloys aren't the focus for the vanadium market right now. What's getting investors excited about vanadium is the metal's application as an energy metal for the future. Specifically, I’m talking about the commercial arrival and proliferation of the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB).
Originally conceived by NASA during the energy crises of the 1970s, vanadium redox flow batteries mainly consist of two tanks of liquid adjacent to each other.
This liquid flows through the tanks and past a membrane, which generates a charge by moving electrons back and forth.
Due to their size and weight, these batteries are expected to be mainly used for grid storage.
Right now, grid energy storage facilities use lithium-ion batteries to store electricity. But lithium-ion batteries have flaws.
The Gold Story of a Generation
Two self-made billionaires took notice and joined forces to invest in this operation.
They’ve each poured millions into this small company’s stock.
For the details, click here.
Aside from their tendency to catch on fire, lithium-ion batteries lose their ability to recharge over time. There's no doubt you've experienced this firsthand. Cellphone batteries are notorious for losing their ability to recharge over time.
The vanadium redox battery is much safer, can last longer, and can be recharged infinitely. That could be a game changer for grid energy storage.
VRFBs attracted some investor interest back in 2018 with speculative hopes for future development. That helped push vanadium prices to multiyear highs. But now VRFBs are actually being planned and built — at least in China.
Of particular note is Rongke Power's 200 MW/800 MWh facility in northwest China, which is on track to be completed this year. When it's finished, Rongke's facility will be the largest energy storage battery in the world.
Then there are Shanghai Electric's plans for a 100 MW/400 MWh VRFB project in Yancheng in east China's Jiangsu province.
Meanwhile, Canadian firm VRB Energy just announced in mid-March it plans to build a 100 MW solar photovoltaic and 100 MW/500 MWh VRFB integrated power station in central China’s Hubei province.
Right now, China is the hub for vanadium redox battery development. But governments worldwide are committing billions of dollars to green energy projects, and electric grid facilities are popping up everywhere. And VRFBs are beginning to be included.
According to QY Research, the VRFB market was valued at $320 million in 2018 and is projected to reach $4.25 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 38.3%.
The role vanadium will play in the energy storage space remains to be seen. But optimism surrounding VRFBs is rising with new development. And it’s a space investors might want to keep an eye on.
Until next time,
Luke Burgess
newsletter@outsiderclub.com
Good article at top .Ignore second half.
In case it does not open
By Luke Burgess
Written Apr 07, 2021
In the pantheon of metallic elements, the precious metals reign supreme. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium — these metals get all of the glory.
But just like in every polytheistic myth you've ever heard, the lesser metals end up doing most of the work.
Iron, copper, aluminum, nickel, zinc, etc. — these base metals built the infrastructure upon which the modern world operates.
Deep in the family tree of vital base metals is one that is beginning to once again attract attention. The metal I'm talking about is vanadium.
Vanadium is a bright white, soft, and ductile metal that's mostly used today to create high-strength steel alloys.
About 85% of all the vanadium produced goes into making steel alloys. Another 10% goes into making alloys of titanium. The rest goes into other uses.
Silicon Valley’s Death Sentence
Silicon Valley is facing ruin…
Its decline has nothing to do with COVID-19 or political unrest.
This is about same trap the Rust Belt fell into decades ago.
But one off-radar company is expected to come out as the huge winner of this development.
It discovered the answer to a problem that might be the final nail in Silicon Valley’s coffin.
Institutional investors like Vanguard and BlackRock are pouring billions into this company.
We’re about to witness one of the biggest breakthroughs in the history of technology…
You could set yourself up for 950%... 6,893%... or even an incredible 12,795% gain.
Exact details here.
Vanadium steel alloys are some of the strongest and most useful ever created. They've been used in everything from the Ford Model T to Lockheed Martin's SR-71 Blackbird.
A 1909 sales brochure for the brand-new Ford Model T proclaims...
The Model T is built entirely of the best materials obtainable. No car at $5,000 has higher grade, for none better can be bought. Heat-treated Ford Vanadium steel throughout; in axles, shafts, springs, gears — in fact a vanadium steel car — is one evidence of superiority.
Nobody disputes that Vanadium steel is the finest automobile steel obtainable... We defy any man to break a Ford Vanadium steel shaft or spring or axle with any test less than 50% more rigid than would be required to put any other steel in the junk pile...
According to Wisconsin Metal Tech, the primary titanium alloy used in Lockheed Martin's SR-71 was 13% vanadium, 11% chromium, and 3% aluminum.
High-strength vanadium-alloy steels are also used in high-rise buildings, bridges, heavy equipment, industrial tools, medical devices, ship plates, rail lines, and other military vehicles.
But steel alloys aren't the focus for the vanadium market right now. What's getting investors excited about vanadium is the metal's application as an energy metal for the future. Specifically, I’m talking about the commercial arrival and proliferation of the vanadium redox
I think this site may be more read in the US than elsewhere and I have hitherto rather "dissed" it as a Lithium Bomb loving site but today it reads:-
Welcome to the newsletter from Energy-Storage.news. The first battery storage system connected to assist the grid in Turkey has been deployed by Aggreko Microgrid and Storage Solutions and while it's a relatively small (500kWh) project by global industry standards, the company's managing director Karim Wazni told us in an exclusive interview that it will help prove the case for further roll-out of battery storage as well as for renewable energy in the country. Vanadium producer Bushveld Minerals has invested in flow battery energy storage provider Enerox, which makes the Cellcube vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) product, helping the manufacturer towards its goal of “at least” 150MW / 600MWh - 1,200MWh annual production capacity within five years.