India Moves to Build First Domestic Vanadium Supply Chain with IIT Delhi–VFlowTech Tie-Up

In a major push for energy security and clean technology, Singapore-based energy storage firm VFlowTech has joined hands with IIT Delhi’s Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) to extract high-purity vanadium from refinery waste in India. The initiative aims to establish the country’s first domestic vanadium supply chain, critical for next-generation long-duration energy storage.

As demand for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) rises globally, the new partnership aligns with India’s goals of self-sufficiency. Vanadium is a key element in flow batteries, which offer long-duration energy storage essential for renewable integration and grid stability.

Recovering vanadium pentoxide

Under the agreement, researchers will work to recover battery-grade vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) from petroleum coke (petcoke) cinder, a waste by-product from India’s large-scale oil refining industry. The move is seen as a step toward creating a circular vanadium economy in India—turning industrial waste into a strategic clean energy resource.

“India’s refinery scale presents a unique opportunity to build a homegrown vanadium ecosystem. By repurposing waste into battery materials, we’re addressing energy security and industrial sustainability in one step,” said Dr. Avishek Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of VFlowTech.

Professor Anil Verma from IIT Delhi’s Chemical Engineering Department added: “This partnership will further India’s clean energy transition by strengthening the domestic supply chain ecosystem and supporting the 500 GW renewable target by 2030.”

Mainly imported item 

The announcement comes as India added a record 29.52 GW of renewable energy in FY 2024–25, pushing total non-fossil capacity to 220.10 GW, as per MNRE. However, vanadium remains mostly imported, creating a gap in local storage solutions—something this collaboration seeks to address.

Backed by a recent $20 million Series A+ funding, VFlowTech is ramping up investment into research, development, and manufacturing to support domestic VRFB deployment. Its flagship product, the PowerCube, boasts high efficiency, long life (over 25 years), and resilience in temperatures above 55°C—ideal for India’s tropical climate where lithium-based systems often struggle.