Elon Musk kept his promise: The SolarCity chairman successfully built the world’s biggest lithium ion battery in South Australia–ahead of schedule.
In July, Tesla and French renewable energy company Neoen were awarded the contract to help the country deal with its energy problems following a 2016 statewide blackout. The Tesla founder was so enthusiastic about the effort that he even tweeted this summer, “100 days from contract signature or it’s free.”
According to a local state government website, the 100-megawatt Tesla Powerpacks set has now been fully installed and will be energized in the next few days as it enters a phase of regulatory testing. Tesla said it will be able to power more than 30,000 homes, approximately equal to the number of homes that lost power during the blackout period.
The Verge reported that the battery is estimated to have cost $50 million.
“The world’s largest lithium ion battery will be an important part of our energy mix, and it sends the clearest message that South Australia will be a leader renewable energy with battery storage,” said South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill in a statement. He also acknowledged that “an enormous amount of work has gone in to delivering this project in such a short time.
courtesy of fastcompany
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