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India's First MWh-scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Inaugurated

A major milestone in India's push towards sustainable energy storage

India's First MWh-scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Inaugurated

  • 13 Nov, 2025
  • 436

Vanadium Latest News

Recently, the Union Minister for Power inaugurated India’s first MWh-scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) system at NTPC’s NETRA facility in Noida. This marks a major milestone in India’s push toward sustainable and large-scale energy storage technologies.

About Vanadium

Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a transition metal known for its strength, versatility, and resistance to corrosion.

Properties of Vanadium

  • It is a silver-gray, ductile, and malleable metallic element.
  • Vanadium is harder than most common metals and exhibits excellent corrosion resistance against alkalis and acids.
  • It forms stable compounds with oxygen and other elements, making it valuable in various industrial applications.

Occurrence of Vanadium

Vanadium is commonly found combined with other elements in minerals, coal, and petroleum. It is the 22nd most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and occurs in more than 60 different minerals, including:

  • Vanadinite
  • Carnotite
  • Roscoelite
  • Patronite

The largest reserves of vanadium minerals are located in South Africa and Russia, while the leading producers include China, Russia, and South Africa.

Applications of Vanadium

  • Steel and Alloy Industry: Used as an alloying element in steel and other metals to enhance strength, durability, and resistance to corrosion.
  • Energy Storage: In Vanadium Flow Batteries (VFBs), vanadium enables safe, stable, and long-duration storage of renewable energy.
  • Chemical Catalysts: Vanadium compounds are employed in various industrial chemical reactions, including the production of sulfuric acid.
  • Nuclear Applications: Used in some nuclear reactors as a structural material and neutron moderator due to its high-temperature stability.
  • Medical Field: Certain vanadium compounds are studied for their potential role in treating diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

Source

DD News

Vanadium FAQs

Q1: What is the atomic number of Vanadium?
Ans: 23

Q2: What is the natural state of Vanadium?
Ans: Solid

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