Austria’s Burgenland Selects Vanadis Energy for 2.5 GWh Lithium-Free Storage Deployment

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, AND EISENSTADT, AUSTRIA: 4 DECEMBER 2025 - Burgenland Energie has placed a multi-year 2.5 GWh order with Vanadis Energy for next-generation vanadium solid-state battery systems to be deployed through 2030. The order includes 1.5 GWh of home energy storage and 1 GWh for grid-scale installations, establishing one of Europe’s most significant lithium-free energy storage initiatives to date.

At a press conference in the Eisenstadt Cultural and Congress Center today, Vanadis Energy demonstrated its lithium-free solid-state battery technology operating under real-world conditions. The event highlighted the significance of vanadium solid-state batteries for research, economic development, and long-term energy security in Burgenland.

A Research Partnership Reaches Commercial Scale

The announcement and press conference follows the successful conclusion of a multi-year research and testing partnership between Vanadis Energy (through its Austrian subsidiary, EM Plus GmbH and its Japanese R&D subsidiary, MK Plus Ltd.) and Forschung Innovation Burgenland. Originating in the Startup Burgenland program, the partnership has advanced and validated several generations of vanadium solid-state battery cells and integrated prototypes.

“Today’s trial operation of the vanadium solid state battery system sends a strong signal,” said State Councilor Dr. Leonhard Schneemann. “Burgenland is becoming a place where pioneering technologies arrive, are tested, improved, and guided toward market readiness. By developing future technologies here with our research partners, we strengthen innovation, local value creation, and energy security in our region.”

"The origins of this collaboration demonstrate the strength of Burgenland's innovation, research, and industry networks. We are jointly developing technologies from concept to implementation to sustainably strengthen our region’s energy security, economic value creation, and climate resilience," explains Martin Zloklikovits, Research Coordinator at Wirtschaftsagentur Burgenland Forschungs- und Innovations-GmbH.

Earlier this year, Vanadis Energy delivered 1kWh and 10kWh pilot systems. These vanadium solid-state batteries are among the first emerging storage technologies worldwide to demonstrate validated kWh-scale performance. Following successful technical operation and safety testing, Forschung Innovation Burgenland approved the technology for further deployment.

The next phase will integrate the batteries into the Living Lab, a real-world testbed connected to the public power grid, where commercialization and performance characterization will continue. Deliveries are scheduled to begin thereafter, with full order deployment by 2030. Vanadis Energy will fulfill this order with battery cells produced in Sweden and system assembly and integration carried out in Austria.

Lithium-free Energy Storage as a Strategic European Opportunity

Vanadis Energy’s vanadium solid-state batteries contain no lithium, relying instead on materials that are available within Europe. This provides a strategic advantage for improving Europe’s energy independence and ensuring long-term supply chain stability.

“Our batteries deliver the safety, durability and scalability required for resilient and robust European renewable power systems,” said Vanadis Energy CEO Kazumasu Kurokawa. “There’s a clear need for a solution like ours.” TÜV-verified data confirmed charging rates up to 20 C, enabling full charges in under ten minutes, along with exceptional fire safety and long operational life.

Dr. Stephan Sharma, Chairman of Burgenland Energie, emphasized the strategic importance of this collaboration, “The shared goal in Burgenland is to maintain our region’s energy security and independence at a time of increasing energy conflicts and blackouts in Europe. We will guarantee this for generations to come through our own grid infrastructure, our own energy generation, and our own energy storage. Alongside wind and solar, energy storage is the third essential pillar we are expanding. We are building Burgenland’s first large-scale battery storage facility, soon to open, and we are investing in innovative, lithium-free technologies such as vanadium solid-state, sodium-ion and organic flow storage.”

A Flagship of the Burgenland 2030 Strategy

This storage project forms a core component of the Burgenland 2030 research and innovation strategy, which prioritizes scalable, secure and innovative energy storage solutions to support a fully renewable power system.

“Burgenland is not catching up – Burgenland is leading the way,” Dr. Schneemann concluded. “This project demonstrates how we are building an energy-independent and innovation-driven region.”

“Burgenland has been at the frontier of advancing battery and grid infrastructure,” Kurokawa added. “This represents a historic step for both Vanadis Energy and Europe’s clean energy infrastructure. We are thrilled to build, test, and deploy vanadium solid-state batteries at scale.”

As deployment progresses, Vanadis Energy anticipates expanding industrial partnerships and receiving additional large-scale orders across the European Union.

About Burgenland Energie

Burgenland Energie is the leading renewable‑energy company in the Austrian province of Burgenland, and one of Austria’s main providers of wind and solar power. The company operates over 400 MW of wind and 200 MW of solar power, with the ambition to grow its clean energy portfolio to 2000 MW by 2030. In the upcoming year, the company is investing around €100 million to build 500 MWh of large-scale energy storage across eight locations, strengthening the region’s renewable energy supply, grid stability, and energy independence.

About Vanadis Energy

Vanadis Energy is a next-generation battery technology company specializing in vanadium-based solid-state energy storage systems for grid-scale, industrial, and renewable energy applications. Formerly known as MK Plus, the company rebranded to reflect its focus on durable, fire-safe, and long-life energy infrastructure. With R&D and pilot manufacturing operations in Japan and Europe, Vanadis Energy is committed to enabling stable, scalable renewable energy worldwide.

For more information, please contact:

Rainer Svacinka

rainer.svacinka@emplus.at