Technology Metals Australia Ltd (ASX:TMT) has upgraded the resource estimate for its Gabanintha project in Western Australia to 119.9 million tonnes at 0.8% vanadium pentoxide and 9.7% titanium dioxide.
This includes a high-grade resource of 55 million tonnes at 1.1% vanadium pentoxide.
The upgrade in the total resource at Gabanintha was enabled by a 57% increase in resource at the Northern Block to 98.4 million tonnes at 0.8% vanadium pentoxide.
It is worth noting that the Northern Block tenements are contiguous with the northern extent of Australian Vanadium’s (ASX:AVL) Gabanintha project resource and conceptual open pit.
READ: Technology Metals Australia tests deliver high vanadium recoveries
The company recently delivered exceptional vanadium recoveries of up to 97.8% from its Gabanintha project, confirming the high-quality nature of the project.
Tests also delivered weight recoveries of up to 85.6% at a grind size of 106 microns and concentrate grades exceeding 1.3% vanadium pentoxide.
Emerging potential for vanadium in the battery sector
The main use of vanadium is in the steel industry where it is primarily used in metal alloys such as rebar and structural steel, high speed tools, titanium alloys and aircraft.
An emerging use for vanadium is the rapidly developing battery sector with the expanding use of vanadium redox batteries (VRBs).
VRBs provide an efficient storage and re-supply solution for renewable energy – being able to time-shift large amounts of previously generated energy for later use.