RE: https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/new-path-to-market-for-flow-batteries-rent-an-electroly5 Jul 2019 06:53
In other words, the price spike has more to do with current production capacity relative to demand. High prices drive more investment into the space, and that investment will continue if new end uses (like flow batteries) start driving additional revenue.
That also explains why a massive global mining conglomerate would bother taking a chance on a small behind-the-meter battery in Santa Cruz.
“They see all the forecasts,” Harper said.
If the more bullish scenarios come true, renewables development will break open a massive market for long-duration storage, and if vanadium flow captures a chunk of that, it would represent an attractive new revenue stream for the minerals suppliers. That gives them a stake in helping this fledgling storage alternative get off the ground.