World’s biggest battery to be ready this week in Australia
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Tesla Inc. chief executive Elon Musk is on track to deliver on a promise by building the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery in the Australian Outback within 100 days, an official said on Tuesday.
Musk promised to build the 100-megawatt battery within 100 days of the contracts being signed at the end of September or hand it over to the South Australia state government for free.
Audrey Zibelman, chief executive of Australian Energy Market Operator Ltd., which manages the Australian electricity grid, said on Tuesday she expected the battery would be ready by Friday, the first day of the Australian summer when power use on air conditioning soars.
“We’re in the process of testing that battery right now and we expect it to be ready on Dec. 1,” Zibelman told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“That’s the end of this week and so we’ve done an incredible amount of work and I have to say I’m very pleased and delighted with Elon’s staff. They’ve worked incredibly hard have done numerous things to get ready for the summer,” she added.
State Premier Jay Weatherill announced last week that Tesla had finished installing the battery power packs near Jamestown, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of the state capital Adelaide.
“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 in renewable energy with battery storage,” Weatherill told reporters on Thursday.
