GridEdge is currently involved in a project to create a Renewable Energy Park at the Radial Timbers Sawmill in Yarram.
This project uses the GridEdge SoNick Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and solar, added to a pyrolysis machine to create a “Bioenergy Cell” that provides power for the mill and further processes residual timber products into valuable bioproducts.
The battery installations are using 4 x 620V SoNick batteries in a SoNick Zebra container.

The selection of the SoNick 100% renewable battery was due to a combination of factors. The SoNick battery technology is the only chemistry UL9540A certified for safety from thermal runaway. This means no risk of fire or explosion, even in the presence of external fire, which is very important on a Mill site.
The batteries are 100% recyclable within today’s recycling systems which means they do not go to landfill at “End of Life”.
The batteries require no maintenance and do not degrade over the life of the batteries.
The SoNick battery technology has been in wide commercial use, worldwide since 2006 and is an implementation-ready renewable energy storage technology.
Unlike other battery technologies, the SoNick battery does not give off any gasses and cannot catch fire and can therefore be co-located with inverters reducing space needed and complexity of installation.
An integrated energy management system will enable grid connection and standalone power supply during outages and dispatchable energy to the grid during peak demand and when the Mill is not operating. This demonstration site will enable testing to be done on the battery for Grid support and stabilisation with all production and operational performance results accessible from a cloud-based Portal.
Due to the battery’s incorporation, the installation will also have the capacity to deliver emergency standalone power during outages. This is critically important for minimising and possibly eliminating the significant impact of unplanned outages and brownouts on the computerised machinery used at the Mill, such as shortened life of machinery and reduced efficiency due to time out to re-program various equipment.
The SoNick battery are manufactured in Switzerland, and will allow the bioenergy plant to manage the electricity produced both from the solar and the Syngas from the pyrolysis plant. A feasibility study is also looking at converting the excess heat from the Charmaker to energy. This will also be processed through the batteries.
One battery installation is installed in an existing control room and the other installation has been installed in a 20 ft shipping container.
The SoNick batteries are supported by an ElPower 100 KW PCS (power conditioning system) and 100KW solar PV array.

Chris McEvoy from Radial timber mill has always had the dream of employing a Bioenergy plant at the Mill to create a closed loop and self-sufficient sawmill which could be expanded to provide renewable energy to the local Yarram community. The Radial Timber Group has a number of sustainable timber plantations, which will supply the biomass as feedstock and be transformed into valuable bioproducts.
This Renewable energy park will help the Radial timber mill create this dream in stages, proving the concept at each stage.
If you would like to know more about getting safe, reliable and recyclable Sodium Nickel Chloride (molten salt) battery storage for your own home, business or micro-grid to increase your energy independence visit us at https://GridEdge.com.au. We have a number of different sized systems that can cater to your budget and energy needs.