Always wanted to see a Vanadium Redoxflow Battery from close up? Austria is not just worth a visit for its famous Schnitzel and Sachertorte. In Brunn am Gebirge, near Vienna, lies Cellstrom, ‘Anbieter von Energiespeichern und Gesamtlösungen für die bedarfsgesteuerte, ununterbrochene elektrische Energieversorgung’, which to you and me means: Your partner for all your energy needs.

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In 2002 Cellstrom started developing the VRB, a large battery with a liquid electrolyte for storing electricity. Practical tests are now taking place in several countries and it will be our turn in a few months time. The installation of a VRB at a farm in Vierakker is an important part of our Photon Farmer Project. For those of you not yet familiar with the Photon Farmer Concept: dairy farmer Jan Borgman is going to generate solar panel electricity, which he will then store in the VRB before using it to power his milk robot and, ultimately, his whole farm. That, of course, is a lot more difficult than it sounds, which is why the Photon Farmer Team of InnovationNetwork and Stichting Courage travelled to Austria to see the VRB with their own eyes.

Our technical men Jeroen de Veth and Johan Kersten went ahead on Thursday to discuss the technical details with Cellstrom. Should the farm be fitted up with direct current or not? Do existing installations need to be adapted? Is the VRB to be placed inside or outside? How can we continue milking the cows if the VRB packs up or doesn’t do what Cellstrom promises in the glossy folder? After all these intricate points had been sorted out, the rest of the team was flown in on Friday morning.

Our expectations were high! The Cellstrom Headquarters turned out to be situated on a bleak industrial estate in what must be Austria’s Black Country – not particularly pretty, but at least it was clear that our hard-won SDE-subsidy and provincial tax money was not being wasted on fancy frills. On our arrival, sales man Stefan Schauß (who himself was wearing a polo neck) smilingly informed us that the customer care manager Peter Tymcif (pronounce as Timchif) had put on his suit and tie for the occasion. That immediately broke the ice and the atmosphere stayed good, even when the battery of Cellstrom’s electric motor-cycle gave up the ghost after only two laps around the car park – which meant taking the car to the VRB located a short distance away.

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The VRB looked exactly like the picture in the brochure: a kind of unmanned petrol station with a solar panel canopy. We scrutinized it from all angles, explored its every facet. Next: an interview with Peter Tymcif (on camera, hence the tie) and a snapshot of us all. So this was what had made us leave our families during the annual St. Nicholas celebrations and brave our flus and colds – and it was worth it too!

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Back at Cellstrom we got a glimpse behind the scenes in the factory hall. Peter screwed the lid from a vanadium barrel so that we could actually see the blue liquid (‘but you should really be wearing protective clothing, so please don’t film.’). And in the office we were talked through the finer theoretical points of the VRB. ‘Alles klar?’ ‘Alles klar!’ And if all goes well, we’ll take delivery of our very own VRB in April.