The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Solid foundation for VanadiumCorp mines-to-batteries strategy Metal Tech News – October 29, 2020
VanadiumCorp has outlined 1.49 billion pounds of vanadium pentoxide in the measured and indicated resource categories at its Lac Doré project in Northern Quebec, Canada.
Composite samples of drill core were used to carry out Davis Tube magnetic separation testing on the vanadium enriched magnetite mineralization encountered at Lac Doré.
VanadiumCorp Resource Inc. has confirmed that its Lac Doré project in Quebec hosts one of the most significant undeveloped vanadium deposits on the planet, furthering the company's mission of developing exceptional vanadium resources and technology to reduce the cost and carbon footprint of energy storage.
According to an updated calculation reported by the company on Oct. 29, Lac Doré hosts 214.93 million metric tons of measured and indicated resources with the potential to produce 52.82 million metric tons of magnetite concentrate averaging 1.3% (1.49 billion pounds) vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), 62% (24.4 million metric tons) iron, and 8.7% (15.2 million metric tons) titanium dioxide (TiO2).
"The results of the mineral resource estimate for our Lac Doré vanadium project have exceeded our expectations," said VanadiumCorp Resource President and CEO Adriaan Bakker. "We can state Lac Doré is one of the largest undeveloped deposits of vanadiferous magnetite in the world, with an excess of 1.4 billion pounds of vanadium pentoxide contained in magnetite concentrate."
This magnetite concentrate can be produced with simple magnetic separation.
To ascertain the viability of magnetic separation at Lac Doré, VanadiumCorp has had Davis Tube magnetic separation tests carried out on mineralization collected from the deposit. Earlier this year, the company reported that 53 composite samples of vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM) mineralization returned magnetite concentrate grades ranging from 0.79% to 1.68% vanadium.
"The favorable metallurgy/Davis Tube results demonstrate the potential of the Lac Doré deposit to yield magnetite concentrates with high vanadium grades, with a significant proportion of the resources exceeding 1.4% V2O5 in magnetite concentrate," said Bakker. "The significant tonnage of the measured and indicated mineral resources highlights the excellent continuity of the VTM mineralization at Lac Doré and sets the stage for more advanced technical studies on the project, including metallurgical testing."
This world-class vanadium-rich magnetite is also well located for mine development.
Situated about 17 miles (27 kilometers) southeast of Chibougamau, a mining town in central Quebec, Lac Doré is roughly 12 miles (19 kilometers) away from rail and industrial power, advantages that are key to developing a large scale magnetite deposit that could produce iron and titanium alongside the vanadium.
Establishing a world-class vanadium resource in a top-tier Canadian mining province provides a foundation for VanadiumCorp's larger objective of helping to foster the global transition to cost-effective green energy through the establishment of a complete vanadium mines-to-batteries supply chain.
Vanadium redox flow batteries, which use vanadium solutions as both the anode and the cathode elements, can provide nearly limitless energy storage capacity simply by using larger tanks to store the vanadium electrolytes.
These batteries can also remain completely charged over an extended period or be completely discharged without major effects – advantages that make them particularly well suited for backup and renewable energy storage.
"The emerging need for large-scale electricity storage makes vanadium redox flow batteries a major potential future use of vanadium," the U.S. Geological Survey penned in a 2018 report on minerals and metal critical to the United States. "Because of their large-scale storage capacity, development of VRBs could prompt increases in the use of wind, solar, and other renewable, intermittent power sources."
VanadiumCorp has established itself along the entire vanadium redox flow battery supply chain, from Lac Doré and other Canadian projects, to refining concentrates mined from these deposits into battery-grade vanadium, and a company that produces vanadium batteries.
"With a substantial resource base in Canada and technology to unlock global supply, I believe VanadiumCorp may hold the key to our low-carbon future," said Bakker.
More information on VanadiumCorp and its initiatives along the vanadium-based energy storage supply chain can be read at The vanadium mines to batteries strategy in the June 17 edition of Metal Tech News.
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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