Tesla switched on the world’s biggest lithium ion battery in South Australia over the weekend, just in time to feed the state’s power grid for the first weekend of summer.
Earlier this year, entrepreneur Elon Musk made a public guarantee he could build South Australia a massive 129MWh lithium ion battery within 100 days to help the state avoid future energy blackouts.
Musk delivered on his promise, and built the battery at Jamestown, in the state’s mid-north, at an estimated cost of at least $65.5 million.
Mr Musk’s Tesla Powerpack is connected to a wind farm operated by French energy firm Neoen, and can hold enough power for thousands of homes during periods of excess demand that could result in blackouts.
The battery went live on Friday, December 1, 2017, during one of South Australia’s warmest weekends so far, with the trial run deemed a success.
Photo credit: Gerard Wood, Floodlight Media
