Tesla has completed construction of the world’s largest lithium ion battery in Australia.
The completion puts the battery on track to meet a 100-day deadline for switching the battery packs on, according to the South Australian government.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, believes the 100 megawatt (129MWh) battery – which will be up and running by December 1 – could be the first step to Australia becoming a renewable energy powerhouse.
Tesla won a bid in July to build the battery for South Australia, the country’s most wind power-dependent state.
Musk vowed to install it within 100 days of signing a grid connection agreement or give it to the state for free.
When the grid connection deal was signed on Sept 29, Tesla was already half way through installing the battery packs.
Finishing today means that the firm took just 55 days to complete the batteries.
The Tesla Powerpacks have now been fully installed at a wind farm run by France’s Neoen, and testing is set to begin to provide grid security services in South Australia.
Musk tweeted: ‘Congratulations to the Tesla crew and South Australian authorities who worked so hard to get this manufactured and installed in record time!’
Jay Weatherill, state Premier, said: ‘While others are just talking, we are delivering our energy plan, making South Australia more self-sufficient, and providing back up power and more affordable energy for South Australians this summer.’
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