Western Australia Grants AVL up to $15m for Vanadium Electrolyte Plant; Jobs Figure Not Yet Given
Western Australia will fund up to $15m of AVL's vanadium electrolyte plant. Perth had 1 live direct manufacturing ad and 12 engineering ads on 9 Nov.
The Western Australia government will fund up to $15 million of a new vanadium electrolyte plant planned by West Perth company Australian Vanadium (AVL), the company told the ASX on 9 November. The grant covers up to half the project's eligible costs. AVL must fund the rest.
What is the WA government paying for?
The grant pays for a high-capacity plant that makes vanadium electrolyte. Electrolyte is the liquid that stores energy in a vanadium flow battery. AVL says the plant would be a big step up from the electrolyte it makes now.
The design is called V-NOMAD. AVL developed it itself as a relocatable plant. The plan is to set it up next to large battery sites, which AVL says will cut electrolyte costs. A study with engineering firm Sedgman looked at a version that could make enough electrolyte each year for about 1 gigawatt-hour of battery storage, AVL's September quarterly report said.
| Detail | What AVL announced |
|---|---|
| Grant | Up to $15 million |
| Fund | Investment Attraction Fund, New Energies Industries Round 2 |
| State share | Up to 50% of eligible costs, paid against milestones |
| Project | First V-NOMAD vanadium electrolyte plant |
| Company | Australian Vanadium (ASX: AVL), West Perth |
| Announced | 9 November 2026 |
Which WA battery projects could use the electrolyte?
AVL says the plant will supply future flow battery projects, including those run by its battery subsidiary, VSUN Energy. Several are in WA. In July, AVL and VSUN Energy lodged a Stage Two bid for the state's proposed 500 megawatt-hour battery near Kalgoorlie. AVL says lodging the bid does not mean it will win the project.
The 2026-27 WA Budget includes $150 million for that Kalgoorlie vanadium battery. In August, AVL also signed a memorandum of understanding with Alcoa of Australia. It covers a study of a 50 to 80 megawatt flow battery for Alcoa's WA alumina refineries. VSUN Energy has also supplied a flow battery to Horizon Power, which is testing it in hot conditions.
Chief executive Graham Arvidson said the grant recognised "the progress we have made in developing vanadium electrolyte manufacturing capability in Western Australia".
Will the plant create jobs in WA?
AVL has not given a jobs figure. The announcement does not say where the plant will be built or when. AVL's quarterly report says the next phase covers more engineering, process safety work, talks with suppliers and firmer costs. Any construction workforce or operating crew is still to be decided.
AVL says the state will pay the grant in line with the agreement's terms, including project milestones. That means the full $15 million depends on AVL reaching each stage and finding its share of the cost.
What it means for Perth job seekers
Battery and electrolyte plants need process engineers, chemical plant operators, electricians and maintenance trades. Right now, few of those roles come through our feed as direct manufacturing ads. On 9 November, Jobs In Perth showed just 1 live direct-from-employer ad in manufacturing jobs in Perth. It was a production operator role with Rio Tinto.
Engineering is a little deeper. We listed 12 live engineering jobs in Perth on the same day. Mineral Resources and Curtin University posted four each, with Rio Tinto, Fortescue, Water Corporation and Western Power one each. None of the 12 stated an annual salary. Our energy, oil and gas jobs in Perth hub had 4 live direct ads.
WA's push to process more minerals at home is changing other sites too. IGO's Nova mine is moving from nickel mining to a lithium plant.
How we reported this
- Grant amount, fund, cost share, purpose and the Arvidson quote come from AVL's ASX announcement of 9 November 2026.
- The V-NOMAD study, Kalgoorlie bid, Alcoa memorandum and Horizon Power pilot come from AVL's quarterly activities report released on 30 October 2026.
- The $30 million fund round and the $150 million Kalgoorlie battery come from the WA 2026-27 Budget economy and jobs page.
- Jobs In Perth figures are live direct-from-employer ads in our feed, observed on 9 November 2026. Recruitment agency and aggregator ads are not included.
- Cover image: AI-generated illustration, not a photo of the event.
Sources
About this reporting
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