Surefire Resources NL (ASX:SRN, FRA:GBL) has signed a Heads of Agreement with Australian Flow Batteries Pty Ltd (AFB), positioning its Victory Bore Vanadium Project in Western Australia for downstream processing test work linked to Australia’s emerging vanadium flow battery supply chain.
Under the agreement, Surefire will provide AFB with a representative concentrate sample from Victory Bore for hydrometallurgical testing using AFB’s proprietary processing technology. The work will assess vanadium recovery performance, titanium dioxide and iron co-product recovery potential, and generate data to support future downstream processing pathways.
The collaboration is designed to help Surefire evaluate how its vanadium concentrate could fit into an Australian-based vanadium electrolyte and vanadium flow battery manufacturing ecosystem. The agreement supports the company's strategy to maximise value from its vanadium resource through potential integration into domestic critical minerals processing and long-duration energy storage markets.
Surefire executive Vladimir Nikolaenko said: “AFB is building a uniquely Australian, fully integrated vanadium flow battery supply chain. Their hydrometallurgical process is specifically designed for vanadiferous titanomagnetite, making this an ideal opportunity to test Victory Bore concentrate with a downstream partner operating here in WA. Victory Bore is already recognised as one of the world’s largest undeveloped vanadium resources, and this HOA is an important step in evaluating processing pathways that could unlock significant value for shareholders.”
AFB building integrated battery value chain
AFB is developing what Surefire describes as Australia’s first vertically integrated vanadium flow battery ecosystem, spanning mineral processing, electrolyte production, battery manufacturing and deployment. Its plans include hydrometallurgical processing of vanadiferous titanomagnetite to produce battery-grade vanadium pentoxide, high-purity titanium dioxide and iron co-products, along with electrolyte manufacturing and utility-scale battery production in Australia.
AFB has licensed a globally patented hydrometallurgical process for low-temperature, ambient-atmosphere extraction of battery-grade V₂O₅, TiO₂ and Fe co-products from VTM feedstock. The hydrochloric acid leach-based process is being advanced through a pilot plant at Kwinana.
Victory Bore project
Surefire’s 100%-owned Victory Bore Vanadium Project covers about 87.5 square kilometres across two exploration licences in Western Australia and hosts a large, laterally continuous vanadiferous titanomagnetite system.
The project forms part of the broader Victory Bore–Unaly Hill system, which contains a JORC 2012 Mineral Resource of 321 million tonnes at 0.39% V₂O₅ using a 0.26% vanadium cut-off. The Victory Bore Mineral Resource Estimate has been revised to 465 million tonnes at 0.30% V₂O₅ using an economically defined 0.15% vanadium cut-off.
Next steps
Surefire will supply the concentrate sample to AFB, after which hydrometallurgical test work will begin. The results are expected to be integrated into an update of the Victory Bore prefeasibility study, while the companies assess downstream processing and partnership opportunities.
The project is about 400 kilometres from port and has access to existing regional infrastructure.