VRB Energy Announces Final Commissioning
of 12 Megawatt Hour Vanadium Flow Battery

January 14, 2019                                                                                                中文
TORONTO, Jan. 14, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sparton Resources Inc. (TSXV.SRI) (“Sparton” or the “Company“) is pleased to announce that VRB Energy Inc. (“VRB”), in which the Company holds a significant indirect interest, reported, on January 11, 2019, the final commissioning of Phase 1 of the 40 Megawatt Hour (“MWh”) vanadium-redox-battery energy-storage-system (VRB-ESS®) at Zaoyang, Hubei Province, China, with a 3 MW/12 MWh storage system commencing operation.Phase 1 is part of the larger 40 Megawatt Hour energy storage project awarded to VRB in 2017 with construction beginning in 2018. (See Sparton News Release dated November 2, 2018, and VRB Energy News Release dated November 1, 2018).
Battery Modules
The VRB-ESS is being used to integrate a large solar photovoltaic system into the local electricity grid, and the current 12Mwh installation is the largest VRB-ESS® built in China to date.Building on the valuable experience gained from the execution of this project, VRB, the project investor, and all parties involved in the construction activities, are working closely in pursuing additional 100MW-class vanadium redox battery storage projects in Hubei, China.

These projects would help to fulfill a key initiative under China’s 2017 energy storage policy published by the National Development and Reform Commission – the macroeconomic management agency under the Chinese State Council that has broad administrative and planning control over the Chinese economy.

Electrolyte Tanks
This initiative provided a directive to deploy multiple 100 MW-class vanadium flow batteries as part of broader efforts to increase renewable energy use, lower emissions and improve efficiency in the electricity sector.Sparton recognizes the significant progress in Hubei and once again commends the VRB Staff and Management and their technical and financial partners for achieving this new milestone. The success and continued further development of these projects will continue to brand VRB as the supplier of choice for vanadium flow batteries to the overall energy storage market.

The full VRB January 11, 2019 News Release is available on the Company website atwww.spartonres.ca, and on the VRB Energy Website at www.vrbenergy.com.

The following information regarding the Company’s minority interest held in VRB is as follows:

Sparton’s 89.8% owned subsidiary, VanSpar Mining Inc., registered in the British Virgin Islands, owns 18% of VRB Energy Inc. (“VRB”) registered in the Cayman Islands, which in turn owns 100% of VRB Energy System, registered in China, the vanadium flow battery manufacturer. Full information regarding the history of the VRB investment interest held by Sparton is in its various news releases and available at www.sedar.com.