Pinnacle VRB Limited

The Vanadium Energy Storage System (VESS) by Pinnacle VRB is an exciting technological breakthrough that has the potential to deliver enormous commercial, operational and environmental benefits for the world's power industry. VESS is based on a revolutionary new energy storage system that allows power to be stored in a liquid medium via rechargeable fuel cells using vanadium redox flow cell technology.

Currently, there is no other effective and efficient method of storing power, other than pumped-hydro systems or batteries, which have commercial, operational and environmental limitations. VESS allows power to be stored, without environmental consequences. Some advantages of VESS technology include:

• VESS offers cost savings for power companies in deregulated electricity markets, via load leveling, and/or demand side efficiency improvements and/or deferral of capital expenditures for additional generation, transmission and distribution capacity.

• VESS is capable of providing a high quality, reliable, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) during power disturbances.

• VESS is clean and has negligible environmental impact, as the vanadium chemicals used are non-hazardous, never need recycling and last indefinitely. The rechargeable fuel cells are built almost entirely from recyclable plastics.

• VESS has a long life and can be fully charged and discharged repeatedly (over 5,000 times) and from any state of charge without any adverse operating effect.

• VESS is flexible, unlike traditional small-scale energy storage systems like batteries, power and capacity requirements can be met independently, and are scaleable from a few kw and kwh to several MW and MWh.

• VESS has exciting, alternative applications including; consumer electricity storage, green energy storage derived from wind or solar methods, and the potential to power a wide range of electric vehicles.

VESS complements renewable energy systems
In the wake of the Kyoto Conference on Global Warming, governments worldwide have responded to the demand for a cleaner environment. This is expected to result in a large increase in renewable energy projects. VESS is well positioned to find a wide range of applications in this expanding sector.

Non-polluting wind, solar, mini-hydro and biomass resources are all in plentiful supply and will increasingly be used for power generation. One disadvantage of these renewable energy resources is the intermittency and uncertainty of the power supplied relative to demand (for example, the sun only shines during the day and wind is dependent on prevailing weather patterns). By storing power generated at times of low demand a VESS system can greatly increase the overall efficiency and effectiveness of renewable energy systems. VESS can also help overcome system control and stability problems often associated with renewable energy systems.

Energy storage will play an important role in the introduction and increasing utilisation of renewable energy. In response to consumer demand, electricity supply companies around the world are now offering 'Green Power' contracts to their customers.

The VESS technology
Restricted Licences to VESS technology have been granted in Japan, Thailand and Africa.

VESS uses the unique chemistry of Vanadium to store electrical energy as chemical energy. During discharge, liquid vanadium "fuel" is pumped through the electrochemical cells and electricity is generated as the Vanadium ions present in the electrolytes change valence states. During charging, the cell reactions are reversed, effectively recharging the vanadium "fuel". These electrochemical reactions are 100% reversible and the Vanadium "fuel" can be charged and recharged indefinitely, never needing replacing.

The Vanadium Energy Storage System (VESS) will dramatically enhance commercial, operational and environmental benefits worldwide. For the first time, this exciting, new technology will allow electricity to be stored on a large scale using traditional generation techniques largely used by power companies, or renewable sources, such as wind, solar and biomass. The best part is that VESS has the lowest environmental impact of any known electrochemical storage system, as chemicals used are completely non-hazardous and VESS is built entirely from recyclable plastics.

VESS will deliver substantial cost savings to power companies and for the first time provide high quality, reliable power consistently, even during periods of power disturbances. VESS is also completely renewable and can be charged or discharged repeatedly and the energy storage medium will last indefinitely.

The future for clean, environmentally friendly energy storage is here.

For more information contact:
Peter Williams or John Anderson,
Pinnacle VRB Limited
Level 1, 45 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3000,
Telephone: +61 (3) 9654 1100,
Facsimile: +61 (3) 9654 2388,
Email: pinnaclevrb1@bigpond.com
Internet: www.pinnaclevrb.com.au