Life cycle assessment of an industrial-scale vanadium flow battery

In the course of the energy transition, storage technologies are required for the fluctuating and intermittently occurring electrical energy. The vanadium flow battery (VFB) is an especially promising electrochemical battery type for megawatt applications due to its unique characteristics. This work is intended as a benchmark for the evaluation of environmental impacts of a VFB, providing transparency and traceability. It considers the requirements for an industrial VFB from the technical and electrochemical point of view. The system design is based on a net capacity of 8 MWh and a net power of 1 MW. This ex ante study is a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) for a VFB to identify, analyze, and evaluate the environmental impacts for a lifetime of 20 years. Moreover, potential environmental impacts of several subsequent life cycles of the emission-intensive and long-lasting vanadium electrolyte are evaluated. With a focus on the electrolyte, the extraction process of vanadium pentoxide is studied in detail for the first time. Consequently, recommendations for the design of the life cycle of VFBs and for comparative LCAs with other energy storage technologies can be derived. Based on this work, more detailed work can follow, which helps to estimate the recycling potentials and emissions more precisely. This article met the requirements for a gold-gold JIE data openness badge described at

Automated summary

This study evaluates the environmental impacts of vanadium flow battery (VFB) in industrial applications, considering both technical and electrochemical aspects. It assesses the environmental impacts over a 20-year lifespan and evaluates the potential impacts of the emission-intensive and long-lasting vanadium electrolyte. The findings provide recommendations for the life cycle design of VFBs and allow for comparisons with other energy storage technologies.