
Tesla to build world’s largest battery storage system in Australia
The company was selected to provide a 100 MW/129 MWh Powerpack lithium-ion battery storage system near Jamestown, South Australia. The system will be paired with a nearby wind farm, which it will use as a charging source so that it can then deliver electricity during peak hours to help maintain reliable operation of the area’s electrical infrastructure.
The move for a more sustainable energy solution in the area was prompted by a severe storm that caused a state-wide blackout last September in South Australia, leaving 1.7 million residents without electricity. Additional blackouts occurred during the Australian summer in early 2017.
South Australia has been adopting renewable technologies at a faster pace than other areas of Australia and is the country’s leading producer of wind power. According to reports, over 50% of the state’s energy production came from sun and wind-based sources during the past year.
After news of the recent Australian outages, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had offered to fix the problem within 100 days, or – if his self-imposed deadline wasn’t met – he would do it for free. Tesla was awarded the current contract through a competitive bidding process.
The project is scheduled for completion by December 2017. According to Tesla, the system will be the largest lithium-ion battery storage project in the world and will provide enough power for more than 30,000 homes.
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