Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and energy storage company VFT have launched a S$15 million joint research laboratory dedicated to developing safer, more durable and more cost-effective batteries for renewable electricity storage. The facility was established through NTU's Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) and unveiled at the Asia Clean Energy Summit, part of Singapore International Energy Week 2026.
Why vanadium redox flow batteries
The joint lab's work centres on vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). Unlike lithium-ion cells, VRFBs use non-flammable, water-based liquid electrolytes that are stored in external tanks, which reduces fire risk. Because the electrolyte sits outside the stack, storage capacity can be expanded simply by increasing tank size.
That decoupling of power and energy is the core attraction: adding hours of storage means adding electrolyte volume rather than more cells, which makes the technology suited to storing and supplying electricity over extended periods and to large-scale grid storage as grids integrate more intermittent solar and wind.
Four research tracks
Stacks and thermal management
Part of the programme will target improvements to battery stacks and cooling systems, so that heat can be managed more effectively and performance lifted over the life of a system.
Vanadium recovery and recycling
Researchers will also work on methods for recovering and recycling vanadium from industrial waste and alternative sources. The aim is to lower production costs and improve the sustainability of the material supply chain — a meaningful lever, given that electrolyte is the single largest cost element in a flow battery.
Power conversion and controls
Improved power conversion and control systems are expected to raise round-trip efficiency and give operators finer control over how systems charge and discharge.
AI-based monitoring
The lab will additionally apply artificial intelligence to monitor battery performance, identify faults and predict maintenance requirements — a route to lower operating costs and longer asset lifetimes for grid-scale installations.
An engineering, not just chemistry, agenda
Taken together, the four tracks read as a commercialisation agenda rather than a pure science programme. Cost reduction in flow batteries depends as much on stack design, electrolyte sourcing and O&M intelligence as on new chemistry, and each of these is addressed in the scope announced by NTU and VFT.
For the wider long-duration storage sector, the significance lies in institutional backing: a major university research institute and a commercial manufacturer pooling resources around a single technology family, with work intended to move from laboratory findings into deployable systems.
This article was assisted by AI analysis. Please refer to the original source for official information.