11 November 2025
Contribution of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery to Green Transformation of Australian Coal Mine—Solar Power Generation and Long-Duration Energy Storage at Boggabri Mine, Australia—
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has reached an agreement to supply a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB *1) to Boggabri Coal Mine through Idemitsu Australia Pty. Ltd. (Idemitsu Australia), the Australian subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Idemitsu).
Idemitsu Australia has already introduced a solar power generation facility at the operating Boggabri Coal Mine to promote Green Transformation (GX*2). To further increase the share of renewable energy, the company will now deploy a 2 MW × 6.3 hours (12.6 MWh) VRFB system.
This project aims to optimize the mine’s power supply and promote decarbonization by storing electricity from both the grid and the solar facility during the day, and utilizing the stored energy at night.
At sites handling combustible resources, such as coal mines, a high level of safety is paramount. VRFBs, which contain no flammable materials and have no risk of thermal runaway, are recognized for their outstanding safety compared to other battery technologies. This advantage led to the adoption of Sumitomo Electric’s VRFB for the project.
The electrolyte used in this project will be supplied by Vecco Group Pty. Ltd. (51% owned by an affiliate of Idemitsu Australia; headquartered in Queensland), which promotes vanadium mining development and manufactures vanadium electrolyte at its Townsville facility in Queensland.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the mining industry, one of Australia’s core sectors, remains a critical challenge on the path toward achieving net zero by 2050. Through this project, Sumitomo Electric will enhance its expertise in sustainable mining within the framework of GX*2, and will seek to expand the initiative to other mining sites, while further promoting the establishment of a local supply chain in Australia.
■Features of the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery
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High Level of Safety (Minimal Fire Risk) The electrolyte is non-flammable and all components are made of flame-retardant materials. |
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Long Life Due to its fundamental charge/discharge mechanism, there is no degradation of electrolyte or electrodes, and the number of charge-discharge cycles does not accelerate degradation. The system can be operated for long periods, regardless of the operating method. |
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Environmentally Friendly The electrolyte can be reused, a practice already proven in the field. Additionally, with proper material separation, up to 99% of system components can be recycled. (Sumitomo Electric also participates in the Green Transformation (GX) League, an initiative led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan; and has obtained wide-area certification for industrial waste treatment from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment.) |
*1 Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Website: /products/flow-batteries
*2 GX (Green Transformation): Activities to shift from a fossil-fuel–based industrial structure to a sustainable society utilizing renewable energy and energy-saving technologies.
About Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Representative Director and President: Noriaki Sakai
About Idemitsu Australia Pty. Ltd.
Headquarters: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Managing Director: Tsutomu Kunomura