Modern Mining September 2025

Vanadium is used in many industries and applications, including machining and bearings.

vanadium deposits are being developed, these primary mines take time to mature and reach production. “In the short term, growth in supply is expected to be supported mainly by the restart of idled primary sources of production, potential new vanadium mines in Australia and Kazakhstan as well as increased production of vanadium from secondary sources in China, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan, says Perles. As vanadium demand gains fresh momentum – driven by the push for lighter, stronger materials and the rapid rise of vanadium flow batteries and other emerging applications – strategic resource planning will be essential to align supply with both traditional and future needs, ensuring long term availability. n

technology applications such as VFBs, vanadium based anode and cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, and vanadium alloys for fusion reactors. “With sufficient vanadium resources and known reserves to meet the significant long term vanadium demand growth, there are also new sources of vanadium that can be unlocked. These new sources could account for as much as 70 000 metric tonnes of additional production, over and above the about 120 000 metric tonnes of vanadium that was produced globally in 2024,” says Perles. These sources include both primary mine production, secondary vanadium recovered from oil residues in the petroleum industry and co-production of vanadium in steel slag as a by-product during steel production. Although new

Vanadium uses Vanadium is used in many industries and applications, from automobiles, power generation, and hand tools, to ships, industrial tools and aeroplanes.

SEPTEMBER 2025 | www.modernminingmagazine.co.za  MODERN MINING  13