Tesla is within their self-imposed 100-day deadline to install the battery in South Australia
Tesla Inc. is planning on powering the Australian outback with the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery starting from December 1st. The 100-megawatt battery can store enough energy to power thirty thousand homes for approximately one hour.
The company won a bid this summer to build the battery for South Australia, with Tesla Inc.’s CEO, Elon Musk, promising to install it within 100 days of signing the agreement. Musk said in a Twitter post back in March, that he could install the battery within that time limit or else it would be free.
Tesla Inc. is reportedly on track to meet the deadline. The grid connection deal was signed on September 29 and by then the company was half-way through installing the battery packs.
“The world’s largest lithium-ion battery will be an important part of our energy mix,” stated South Australia’s Premier, Jay Weatherhill.
Musk offered to help Australia prevent its electricity blackouts as they have been a topic of debate as of late. South Australia is the country’s most wind power-dependent state, a factor which Musk took into consideration. The battery can store power produced both by the wind and the sun which is then released into the grid when blackouts occur.
Australia’s energy market operator has warned that this summer will take a toll on power production, especially in South Australia and its neighboring state, Victoria.
The state hasn’t revealed yet how it will pay for the lithium battery, which is part of a $510 million plan to solve the Australian energy crisis.
Tesla Inc. acquired solar-power provider, SolarCity Corp, last year which was a valuable investment for Musk considering his long term prospects regarding clean energy. The entrepreneur believes a combination of those two clean energy technologies will be able to eliminate the need for fossil fuels.
Image Source: WikipediaCommons
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.