Western Australia’s vanadium vision draws strong investor interest
The Western Australian Government is a step closer to delivering what would be Australia’s largest vanadium battery energy storage system in Kalgoorlie, with strong industry interest flagged in the first stage of its expression of interest process.
More than 20 submissions were received for stage one of the EOI, signalling investor appetite across the vanadium supply chain in WA. The project would be backed by a $150-million state government commitment to install a 50MW/500MWh WA-made vanadium flow battery.
The battery storage system has been pitched as a landmark infrastructure project for the Goldfields, with ministers emphasising jobs, economic diversification and grid strength benefits. It is being driven alongside recent fiscal policy shifts aimed at nurturing the state’s emerging vanadium industry.
The state government has applied a royalty rate of 2.5 per cent to vanadium products — a change meant to give miners greater certainty and support the nascent vanadium battery sector. The move comes as part of broader critical minerals policy settings to bolster mid-stream investment and domestic production.
WA Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the battery storage system was a core election commitment under the Made in WA plan.
“Installing a vanadium battery energy storage system is a major election commitment under the Cook Government’s Made in WA plan, to diversify the economy, enable Western Australia to become a renewable energy powerhouse, and to make more things here,” Sanderson said.
Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael said recent royalty clarity had helped lift industry confidence.
“The strong interest from industry in building the new battery storage system follows the State Government’s announcement earlier this month providing clarity around royalties for Western Australia’s emerging vanadium miners and nascent vanadium battery industry,” Michael said.
Stage two of the EOI will seek detailed business cases, with a preferred proponent expected to be selected in mid-2026. The Department of Energy and Economic Diversification is assessing responses and is set to release further details on the next stage shortly.