CMG Accelerates Vanadium Battery Rollout with Electrolyte Facility on Track
Critical Minerals Group (CMG) advances its integrated vanadium flow battery strategy targeting commercial energy storage solutions by 2026, alongside key project and executive developments.
- Expanded strategy targets vanadium flow battery energy storage solutions by 2026
- Vanadium electrolyte manufacturing facility design on schedule for May 2025 completion
- Appointment of Trudy Walsh as Chief Financial Officer strengthens leadership
- Pre-feasibility and environmental studies progress for Lindfield Vanadium Project
- Active engagement with customers and partners for downstream battery solutions
Strategic Expansion into Energy Storage
Critical Minerals Group (ASX: CMG) has unveiled a significant strategic expansion, positioning itself to deliver integrated vanadium flow battery (VFB) energy storage solutions by 2026. This move follows a comprehensive six-month review of the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) market, identifying vanadium batteries as a pivotal technology in the global energy transition.
CMG’s new "market to mine" strategy integrates its upstream mining operations and midstream electrolyte production with downstream energy storage offerings. This end-to-end supply chain approach aims to stimulate demand for vanadium batteries by initially targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), focusing on applications that enhance renewable energy efficiency, grid resilience, and power reliability.
Vanadium Electrolyte Facility Progress
The company’s Vanadium Electrolyte manufacturing facility, a cornerstone of its midstream capabilities, remains on track for design completion in May 2025. The facility is engineered with a nameplate capacity of one million litres per annum, with scalability designed to potentially triple output to meet future demand. Procurement of critical long-lead items is set to commence following design approval, with construction slated for completion by the end of 2025 and commissioning in early 2026.
CMG has also initiated quality testing of vanadium pentoxide supplies and is advancing discussions with battery manufacturers to qualify its electrolyte and negotiate offtake agreements, signaling early commercial traction.
Leadership and Industry Engagement
Strengthening its executive team, CMG appointed Trudy Walsh as Chief Financial Officer during the quarter. Walsh brings over 25 years of financial and corporate strategy experience, particularly within engineering, manufacturing, and renewables sectors, enhancing CMG’s capacity to navigate its growth trajectory.
On the industry front, CEO Scott Winter represented CMG at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference, highlighting Queensland’s leadership in critical minerals and CMG’s role in advancing vanadium flow battery technology. This engagement underscores CMG’s commitment to positioning itself at the forefront of the energy storage sector.
Project Development and Environmental Progress
CMG’s flagship Lindfield Vanadium Project continues to advance, with pre-feasibility studies progressing on schedule for mid-2025 completion. Metallurgical test work is focused on optimizing reagent consumption and vanadium recovery, while environmental impact studies and approvals are underway despite weather-related delays in fieldwork.
The company maintains active consultation with stakeholders, including local Aboriginal groups and landholders, and is preparing submissions for federal environmental approvals. Adjacent tenements such as Lara Downs and Lindfield North remain under evaluation, with exploration plans poised to leverage regional learnings.
Financial Overview and Outlook
Financially, CMG reported exploration expenditure of approximately $451,675 and corporate costs of $787,173 for the quarter ending 31 March 2025. The company ended the quarter with cash reserves of $881,000, reflecting prudent management amid ongoing development activities.
Looking ahead, CMG plans to complete scoping studies with potential customers by year-end, further refining its downstream vanadium battery solutions. Partnerships across the supply chain are being formalized to support design, delivery, and installation phases, underpinning CMG’s integrated market-to-mine vision.
Bottom Line?
CMG’s integrated approach and facility progress set the stage for a pivotal role in vanadium energy storage, but execution risks and market adoption remain key watchpoints.
Questions in the middle?
- How will CMG’s downstream vanadium battery solutions compete in the evolving energy storage market?
- What are the timelines and risks associated with securing environmental approvals for the Lindfield Project?
- To what extent will offtake agreements and customer engagements translate into early revenue streams?