# Flow batteries: Overview

Batteries that store energy in tanks of liquid, sized by the hour

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flow_batt/overview/

What this tile covers Batteries that keep their energy in liquid electrolytes in tanks, so capacity scales with tank size. Share of use <.01% share of world stored energy (2024)

Share of the world's stored energy (energy capacity held, TWh, latest year 2019 to 2026) across the forms with figures, about 22,551 TWh; fuel stocks dominate. Battery and other stores count capacity, not state of charge China had 189 vanadium flow projects totalling about 24 GWh at end 2024 (Chinese Journal of Power Sources, 2026), but this includes projects under construction and planned, so operating capacity is lower; the rest of the world adds little. Upper bound. Source: [Current situation and outlook of China's vanadium redox flow battery market](https://manu70.magtech.com.cn/dyjs/EN/10.3969/j.issn.1002-087X.2026.03.006), Chinese Journal of Power Sources.

#### Key facts

| **Duration** | Hours to days |
|---|---|

#### Included from the reference tables

- Vanadium redox
- Zinc-bromine
- Iron flow
- Organic flow

#### Linked to the material world
[V Vanadium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/)[Zn Zinc](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/)[Br Bromine](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/)

#### Also in Electrochemical
[LFP Lithium iron phosphate batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_lfp/)[NMC Nickel-rich lithium-ion batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_nmc/)[SSB Next-generation lithium batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_li_next/)[Na+ Sodium-ion batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sodium_ion/)[PbA Lead-acid batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_lead_acid/)[NiB Nickel-based batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_nickel_batt/)[NaS High-temperature batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hightemp_batt/)[FeAir Metal-air batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_metal_air/)[Zn Other and primary batteries](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_other_batt/)

Explore paths from here
 More on this tile in the tabs above: science and technology, engineering and performance, economics, impact and additionality, what to track.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flow_batt/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flow_batt/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and technology](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flow_batt/sg-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and performance](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flow_batt/sg-eng/index.md)
- [Economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flow_batt/sg-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flow_batt/sg-impact/index.md)
- [What to track](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flow_batt/tracking/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flow_batt/links/index.md)