Country for PR: United States
Contributor: PR Newswire New York
Wednesday, December 09 2020 - 03:13
AsiaNet
Largo Resources Launches Largo Clean Energy; Creating a Leading, Vertically Integrated and Sustainable Renewable Energy Storage Provider
TORONTO, Dec. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

     -- Launch of Largo Clean Energy creates an industry-leading, vertically 
integrated vanadium redox flow battery ("VRFB") business to provide clean 
energy storage systems to the fast-growing, long-duration renewable energy 
storage market 
     -- Acquisition of 12 patent families previously owned by VionX Energy 
Corp. ("VionX Energy") with coverage in key jurisdictions to enable Largo Clean 
Energy to deploy VionX Energy's battery systems under Largo Clean Energy's 
VCHARGE+/- branding 
     -- Onboarding of core technical team members previously employed by VionX 
Energy with decades of VRFB expertise 
     -- Over US$150 million of investment by VionX Energy in commercially 
proven VRFB technology and operational optimizations 
     -- VCHARGE+/- System: Combination of patented VRFB electrolyte processing 
technology, utilization of industry-leading flow battery stack technology and 
supply of Largo's high purity vanadium required in the manufacturing of 
vanadium electrolyte will result in unparalleled competitive advantages 
     -- Provides Largo Resources with additional commercial and growth 
opportunities for its high purity vanadium products at attractive overall 
economics 
     -- Aligned with Largo Resources' goal of contributing to a lower carbon 
future through the advancement of renewable energy storage deployments 
worldwide 
     -- Opportunity to significantly increase additional shareholder value 
     -- Webcast and conference call to discuss Largo Clean Energy and 
VCHARGE+/- technology transaction: Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. ET

Largo Resources Ltd. ("Largo" or the "Company") (TSX: LGO) (OTCQX: LGORF) is 
pleased to announce the launch of Largo Clean Energy Corp. ("Largo Clean 
Energy"), a newly formed company in Delaware (U.S.) whose aim will be to 
provide safe, long-duration vanadium redox flow battery systems for the 
fast-growing global renewable energy storage market. Largo Clean Energy has 
acquired superior VRFB technology that was previously owned by VionX Energy, a 
company that had been involved in the renewable energy storage market since 
2002.

Paulo Misk, President and Chief Executive Officer for Largo, stated: "The 
acquisition of patented VRFB electrolyte processing technology along with the 
utilization of industry-leading flow battery stack design and supply of Largo's 
reliable, high purity vanadium has culminated in the formation of a uniquely 
positioned renewable energy storage business. We have also hired key team 
members previously employed by VionX Energy who we believe have developed one 
of the most advanced VRFB technologies in the world and when combined with 
Largo Resources' proven operational and commercial capabilities, will result in 
immediate synergies and unparalleled competitive advantages. We are very 
pleased to welcome this new team into our organization and following the launch 
of Largo Clean Energy, we expect to drive new VRFB adoption worldwide and 
capture greater market share of the rapidly growing renewable energy storage 
sector. This forward-thinking approach also provides new and existing investors 
with a rare opportunity to capture value from a vertically integrated renewable 
energy storage investment with a focus on reducing carbon emissions worldwide." 
He continued: "The patented VRFB technology and proprietary vanadium 
electrolyte processing system can deliver cost-competitive performance over a 
20+ year life cycle with nominal degradation. In general, the VRFB is 
intrinsically safe with no fire risk from thermal runaway. Additionally, the 
contained vanadium electrolyte can be recycled for reuse in other VRFB 
installments at the end of the battery life. We are confident that these 
essential attributes make VRFB applications one of the safest and most 
sustainable options offered in the renewable energy storage market."

He concluded: "Looking ahead, we are very excited to begin working with this 
advanced VRFB technology to capitalize on new renewable energy storage 
opportunities around the world. Largo's revenues will continue to be largely 
driven by sales in the global steel industry and high purity aerospace and 
chemical markets—but as vanadium demand from global VRFB deployments expands in 
the coming years, we expect significant growth in the VRFB sector. The launch 
of Largo Clean Energy also provides Largo with additional flexibility to deploy 
more of its high purity vanadium production into energy storage products. Our 
goal is to continue contributing to a lower carbon future through the supply of 
our exceptionally high-quality vanadium products and through the deployment of 
Largo Clean Energy's VCHARGE+/- systems."

Largo Clean Energy – A Leading, Vertically Integrated Renewable Energy Storage 
Provider

The launch of Largo Clean Energy creates a vertically integrated energy storage 
provider for the growing renewable energy storage market. Global energy storage 
capacity is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate ("CAGR") of 31%, 
recording over 741 gigawatt-hours ("GWh") of cumulative capacity by 2030[1]. 
The VRFB has emerged as a preferred renewable energy storage system for 
industrial and commercial microgrids, renewables integration, EV charging and 
grid applications. Through the combination of Largo's unrivalled high purity 
vanadium products and today's launch of Largo Clean Energy's VRFB business, the 
Company is confident that it is well positioned to capture a significant 
portion of future renewable energy storage demand going forward.

Solving a Fundamental Vanadium Supply Problem Associated with VRFB Deployments

The VRFB is well-known for its technical and economic merits, but a fundamental 
issue that plagues most VRFB deployment projects is the secure and reliable 
supply of high purity vanadium. We believe that the launch of Largo Clean 
Energy helps to solve this problem by combining industry leading VRFB 
technology with Largo's world class supply of high purity vanadium. 
Additionally, Largo's cost-efficient expansion plans are expected to support 
the anticipated future demand of Largo Clean Energy's VCHARGE+/- deployments.

Flexible Use of Largo's High Purity Vanadium Products

We believe the formation of Largo Clean Energy leverages Largo's unique 
position as one of the world's highest-quality vanadium producers. In building 
a VRFB business, Largo is moving downstream in order to diversify its product 
and customer base, and increase its flexibility in any vanadium price 
environment.

VCHARGE+/- System: Advanced VRFB Technology with Unrivaled Performance 

Largo Clean Energy will utilize the patented flow battery stack technology and 
proprietary vanadium electrolyte processing technology it now has at its 
disposal to further develop and deploy its VCHARGE+/- battery systems with a 
view of providing safe and continuous energy storage over a 20+ year life cycle 
with nominal degradation. 

    - The VCHARGE+/- battery system can be comprised of 4, 6, 8, 10 and 20
      megawatt-hour ("MWh") high-quality, modular energy storage options; 
    - Stack Power Density Unmatched: The VCHARGE+/- battery system is based on
      a proprietary vanadium electrolyte processing system combined with
      patented flow battery stack technology, allowing for 3 times higher power
      density than most other competitors; 
    - Cost-Competitiveness Advantage: The VCHARGE+/- battery system can deliver
      unrivaled Levelized Cost of Storage at discharge durations greater than 4
      hours due to low capital and operating costs, and from a product life of
      over 20+ years with almost no performance degradation; 
    - One of the Safest Battery Solutions: The VCHARGE+/- battery system
      technology has been proven safe for use in urban applications in
      proximity to adjacent structures and densely populated areas due to its
      inherent non-flammability; 
    - Sustainability: Electrolyte contained within a VRFB has a 100% depth of
      discharge without any damage to the battery system. There is also the
      ability to re-use vanadium electrolyte at the end of the battery's life
      which results in a more sustainable battery option as compared with
      competitors. 
    - Disruptive and Exclusive Battery IP: Largo Clean Energy has acquired the
      battery technology developed by VionX Energy which provides a competitive
      advantage; 
    - Proven Durability: The VCHARGE+/- product durability has been proven and
      validation of commercial design has been completed; 
    - Long-life: The VCHARGE+/- battery system will employ a modular
      architecture based on 1 megawatt ("MW") power and 2 MWh energy building
      blocks that have been engineered to meet grid reliability standards and
      have undergone significant durability testing demonstrating up to 40
      years of stack life.

Transaction Summary – Key Terms

Largo Clean Energy entered into an asset purchase agreement dated effective 
November 25, 2020 (the "Purchase Agreement") pursuant to which it has now 
acquired certain assets of VionX Energy, including 12 patent families (the 
"Assets") out of an assignment for the benefit of creditors under Massachusetts 
law. Closing of the purchase of the Assets was conditional upon Largo Clean 
Energy entering into the License Agreement (as defined below) which occurred 
today. The Assets were acquired for deemed net consideration equal to 
US$3,862,000 that was satisfied through the issuance of 2,518,453 common shares 
of Largo (at a deemed price per common shares of CAD$1.035, being the 5-day 
VWAP prior to the execution of the Purchase Agreement) and 3,622,007 share 
purchase warrants of Largo, which have an exercise price of CAD$0.67 and a term 
of five years. In connection with the transaction, Largo Clean Energy has also 
entered into a non-exclusive license agreement (the "License Agreement") with 
Raytheon Technologies Corporation in respect of certain technology used by 
Largo Clean Energy. 

Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries: Critical to Harnessing Clean Energy Generation

Largo believes the VRFB stands out above other battery contenders as being most 
ideally suited for large-scale utility, commercial and industrial renewable 
energy storage applications. The VRFB contains a vanadium electrolyte liquid 
solution that stores and releases large amounts of energy—and in most cases 
simultaneously—over long periods of time. Unlike a conventional battery, a VRFB 
uses a vanadium electrolyte to store energy in separated storage tanks, not in 
the power cell of the battery. During operation these electrolytes are pumped 
through a stack of power cells, or membranes, where an electrochemical reaction 
takes place and electricity is produced.

The VRFB's strengths lie within its longevity, lack of degradation in 
performance over time (even after many thousands of cycles), non-flammability, 
100% depth of discharge without any damage to the battery system and the 
ability to re-use the vanadium electrolyte at the end of the battery's life. 
The electrolyte solution employed in the VRFB is non-volatile – it is neither 
flammable, nor explosive as a result of its high water content and has very 
little, or no self-discharge current, which offers a very high degree of 
operational safety compared to other battery energy storage systems. This 
inherent non-flammability of the water-based electrolyte used in VRFBs makes 
them ideal for deployment in densely populated areas, airports, schools and 
wooded areas where mitigating the safety risk caused by fire and smoke is 
paramount.

Suitable for both grid and decentralized energy applications, the VRFB is one 
of the preferred battery energy storage technologies that provides an effective 
solution to address the challenges associated with grid modernization and 
stabilization, as well as renewable energy integration. VRFBs can also be 
employed in utility-scale energy storage projects, micro-grids, renewable 
energy generation integration, grid smoothing, backup power and in remote and 
off-grid power applications.

To learn more about vanadium redox flow batteries and the growing global energy 
storage market, please visit the About Vanadium section of our website at 
www.largoresources.com.

Webcast and Conference Call Details

Largo Resources' management will host a webcast and conference call on 
Wednesday, December 9, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. ET, to discuss the Largo Clean 
Energy and VCHARGE+/- battery technology transaction highlights. 

Conference Call Details:

     Date:           December 9, 2020
     Time:           10:00 a.m. ET
	
     Webcast Link    
https://produceredition.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1412837&tp_key=2d9e303880 

     Dial-in Number: Local / International: +1 (416) 764-8688
                     North American Toll Free: (888) 390-0546
                     Brazil Toll Free:  08007621359
	
     Conference ID:  15966189
	
     Website:        To view press releases or any additional financial
                     information, please visit our Investor Relations section
                     of the Largo Resources website at: 
                     www.largoresources.com/investors

 
About Largo Clean Energy 

Largo Clean Energy aims to become a leading supplier of safe, durable, 
long-duration grid-scale vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) for the 
fast-growing global renewable energy storage market. Our VCHARGE+/- battery 
systems use patented battery technology and proprietary vanadium electrolyte 
processing to provide customers with a fully integrated and cost-competitive 
renewable energy storage system comprised of power conditioning, system control 
and thermal management subsystems. Our VCHARGE+/- battery systems are designed 
to operate at 3 times higher power density than most other competitors and have 
been proven non-flammable and safe. The VCHARGE+/- battery system also offers a 
unique, long-duration discharge of up to 10 hours at full rated power 
delivering unmatched performance over a 20+ year life cycle with no 
degradation. For more information, please visit www.largocleanenergy.com. 

About Largo Resources

Largo Resources is a leading, vertically integrated producer and supplier of 
high-quality vanadium. Largo can service multiple vanadium market applications 
through the supply of its unrivaled VPURE(TM) and VPURE+(TM) products, which 
are sourced from one of the world's highest-grade vanadium deposits at the 
Maracás Menchen Mine located in Brazil. Largo is also focused on the 
advancement of renewable energy storage solutions through Largo Clean Energy 
and its world-class VCHARGE+/- vanadium redox flow battery systems. The 
Company's common shares are principally listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange 
under the symbol "LGO". 

For more information on Largo and VPURE(TM), please visit 
www.largoresources.com and www.largoVPURE.com. 

For additional information on Largo Clean Energy, please visit 
www.largocleanenergy.com. 

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange (nor its regulatory service provider) 
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Forward-looking Information:

This press release contains forward-looking information under Canadian 
securities legislation, some of which may be considered "financial outlook" for 
the purposes of application Canadian securities legislation ("forward-looking 
statements"). Forward–looking information in this press release includes, but 
is not limited to, statements with respect to our ability to build, finance and 
operate a VRFB business, our ability to protect and develop our technology, our 
ability to maintain  our IP, our ability to market and sell our VCHARGE+/- 
battery system on specification and at a competitive price, our ability to 
secure the required production resources to build our VCHARGE+/- battery 
system, and the adoption of VFRB technology generally in the market. 
Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking 
terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", 
"budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or 
"does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases 
or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", 
"might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". All information contained 
in this news release, other than statements of current and historical fact, is 
forward looking information. Forward-looking statements are subject to known 
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual 
results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Largo or Largo Clean 
Energy to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such 
forward-looking statements, including but not limited to those risks described 
in the annual information form of Largo and in its public documents filed on 
SEDAR from time to time. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions 
and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Although 
management of Largo has attempted to identify important factors that could 
cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in 
forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not 
to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that 
such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events 
could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, 
readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Largo 
does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in 
accordance with applicable securities laws. Readers should also review the 
risks and uncertainties sections of Largo's annual and interim MD&As which also 
apply.

[1] Wood Mackenzie, Global energy storage outlook: H2 2020, September 30, 2020; 
https://www.woodmac.com/press-releases/global-energy-storage-capacity-to-grow-at-cagr-of-31-to-2030/


Contact: Alex Guthrie, Senior Manager, External Relations, 
aguthrie@largoresources.com, Tel: +1 416–861–9797 

SOURCE  Largo Resources Ltd.

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