Of course solar could be an option as the solar plant price has dropped dramatically in last few years. (The solar is my other research area as I have dream about setting up 1MW farm).
1kW solar now cost about USD 0.65 (AUD 0.92) now.
A 10MW plant would cost about AUD 9.2m.
Everything included (panels, frames, cables, inverters, etc, construction and commissioning - EPC system) in this price other than batteries. Of course they would need vanadium flow batteries to store the energy .
Solar efficiency in that area is one of two highest locations in Australia.
Many companies around the world are now preferring solar for their needs. I don't know what would be the power need of TMT's plant, 10MW maybe enough or they may need more.
It could be a hybrid system supported with diesel power (with or w/o batteries)
If you look at the solar industry, you can see everyone goes solar now. The storage is the problem atm. This is the reason that Vanadium Flow Batteries will be mainstream storage option very soon.
That's why we need low vanadium prices for VRFB applications to find new ways to enter the market. There is no way that VRFBs will have chance if the V2O5 price remains over $20/lb.
If the V price remains higher, it's still good for TMT as the steel market needs another two V producer in next 10 years if TMT can be a producer.
I believe V price will be balanced somewhere between $10-$20 (say $15) and VRFB applications will increase. At least we know that those sun power have to be stored in somewhere. We know that it's not going to be lithium batteries.
Also, V2O5 in a VRFB is an asset. V2O5in H2SO4 solution IN TANKS and is never contaminated, easily to reconstitute V2O5 orother V products for steel or other uses. It's like gold. It's not a consumable.
Therefore it will be owned by the finance companies and leased to the users. Then they can get it back and lease to another user. Never loses the value. It's like gold.
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