Good article! I like Alex Koyfman.
https://www.energyandcapital.com/vanadium-flow-batteries-last-for-30-years/
Vanadium Flow Batteries Outlast Lithium 20x
Posted May 25, 2024
Total solar power output in the U.S. is set to more than double in the next 6 years, but there’s no solar stock out there that will benefit as much as the one I’m going to tell you about.
You see, solar farming isn’t just panels and wires. There’s another component which goes into every solar installation that’s just as crucial to operations as the sun itself: Utility scale power storage.
With solar power production peaking and waning depending on the time of day, for there to be uninterrupted power flowing to client homes, short term storage is a must.
When production outpaces consumption, the batteries charge. When consumption outstrips production, the stored power is expended.
These battery arrays are what give solar power true 24/7 supply capability.
So no matter where you build your solar farm, or what kind of panels you decide to buy, the one constant which never changes is the need for battery banks.
Right now, one UK-based energy systems firm is building a utility-grade battery, which no lithium-ion cell can ever compare to.
The reason why is as easy to understand as it comes: longevity.
Solar Stocks Have Nothing On This Renewables Play
Not just solar power installations but all renewable energy facilities require power storage solutions designed to last for 25 to 30 years.
Lithium batteries, as any smart phone owner knows all too well, last for maybe 300-500 charge cycles before energy retention and charge time begin to suffer.
That’s 2 or 3 years of normal usage.
The batteries this British company makes are designed to last for up to 20,000 cycles, giving them a lifespan equivalent to that of the power generation hardware itself.
Now, granted, there are drawbacks. These batteries have worse energy density than Li-Ion, but when you’re building battery arrays like the one pictured below, size and weight are not an issue.
Safety, reliability, and a long lifespan are far more crucial for these operations, and for these requirements, this unique battery type is perfectly tailored.
So what’s the difference? What sets these batteries so far apart from the lithium-ion standard we all know?
The difference is the key ingredient, which in this case is the often overlooked Vanadium.
There Are Hundreds Of Solar Stocks… But There Is Only One Like This
These batteries, referred to as ‘vanadium-flow batteries’, operate on a completely different principle than lithium ion.
Most notably, they lack organic-based electrolytes, which is the root cause behind Li-Ion’s famous predisposition to spontaneous combustion.
As the market for renewables skyrockets around the world, so too will the demand for everything required to build out this added capacity.
But while hundreds of firms are engaged in the production of solar panels, wind turbines and hydroelectric dams, the same cannot be said for specialized battery makers.
At the moment, this UK-based Vanadium battery maker stands head and shoulders above the field.
It’s even secured a recent funding commitment from the DOE, something that the mainstream financial press barely noticed.
Put that all together and it makes this company — which trades at a market capitalization of less than $60M — one of the most prospective in the entire renewables sector.
And the main reason why no one has heard about this is that it’s simply overshadowed by the bigger, sexier lithium-ion story.
Don’t Follow The Crowd… Follow The Macro Trends
That’s what powers EVs and smartphones, afterall. That’s what will most likely power electric airplanes in the near future.
For decades, li-ion has been building a reputation as the power storage medium of the future, and as a culture, we’ve learned to accept this as an incontrovertible fact.
The truth, as always, is nuanced.
While Li-Ion powers our consumer goods, Vanadium batteries will be doing the heaviest lifting within the entire green energy sphere.
And despite the mainstream financial press always focusing on the latest and greatest EV or wireless device, renewable energy is the fastest growing of the three major prongs of today’s battery market.
It’s precisely this sort of overlooked opportunity that forward-looking speculators crave, and a few weeks ago, I made sure my subscribers knew everything there was to know about this company, and its products.
If you’re interested in learning more, I’ve recently released this video presentation as a crash course in the concept of vanadium flow.
It’s quick and informative, and by the time it’s over you’ll know why Vanadium flow is the most reliable way to leverage the coming global campaign for decarbonization into substantial profit.
Fortune favors the bold,
Alex Koyfman