Transport phenomena are investigated which are involved in the electrokinetic remediation process used for removing vanadium from deactivated catalysts from oil catalytic cracking that are currently allotted to cement plants and class‐I landfills. Variables such as the concentration of electrolyte, electric potential, and applied electric current were evaluated in order to determine the effects produced by electroosmosis, diffusion, hydraulic gradient, and electromigration on the removal of vanadium from the catalyst. It was observed that migration is the most relevant phenomenon in the remediation tests, and for the best remediation condition, the migratory flow accounted for about 87 % of the vanadium removal.