The WA Government says there has been strong industry interest in the Stage One of the Expression of Interest (EOI) for what will be Australia’s largest Vanadium Battery Energy Storage System (VBESS) in Kalgoorlie.
With more than 20 responses, there is clear industry willingness to invest in all aspects of the vanadium supply chain in Western Australia, said Mines and Petroleum Minister, David Michael.
“The strong interest from industry in building the new VBESS 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,” said Minister Michael.
“The Cook Government is committed to giving industry the financial confidence and certainty to make the significant investments required to see projects like the VBESS come to fruition.”
The VBESS is a landmark project for Kalgoorlie, providing jobs, economic diversification, and strengthening the electricity grid in the Goldfields region
The Government will provide $150 million to install a 50-megawatt/500 megawatt-hour, WA-made vanadium flow battery.
Stage Two of the EOI will seek detailed business cases with the aim of selecting a preferred proponent in mid-2026 to deliver the VBESS.
“Installing the 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,” said Energy and Decarbonisation Minister, Amber-Jade Sanderson.
“We want to partner with industry to deliver local content, great jobs, and real value for WA.”
Recently, the State Government applied a 2.5% royalty rate to vanadium products in a move to incentivise production of the critical mineral in WA and encourage its emerging vanadium battery industry.
The Department of Energy and Economic Diversification is assessing responses and will release further details on the next stage shortly.
