U.S. Vanadium has announced the completion of a $5.8 million project to upgrade its vanadium processing operations in Hot Springs.
The project included installation of an industrial belt filter plant that will improve vanadium recovery rates, cut operating costs and increase recycling operations, the company said in a news release.
Vanadium is a chemical element used in the production of rechargeable, long-lasting batteries known as vanadium redox flow batteries.
U.S. Vanadium’s Hot Springs facility produces high-purity electrolyte and other high-purity vanadium-based products by recovering contained vanadium from post-industrial waste streams. It also produces high-purity vanadium oxides used to produce titanium alloys used for defense, commercial aerospace, and industrial applications.
The new belt filter system is expected to eliminate the need to store leached solids in the facility’s tailings pond, significantly reducing the plant’s environmental footprint.
“In addition to strengthening our production operations and streamlining costs, the belt filter also underscores USV’s commitment to maximizing sustainable practices in our operations,” Mark A. Smith, the company’s CEO and chair, said in the release. “This is a win for the company, our employees, and the environment.”
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