Tesla CEO Elon Musk has lived up to his promise of installing the world’s largest lithium-ion battery storage system in South Australia within a 100 days. Musk previously said the giant 100 MW/129 MWh Powerpack system would be free if Tesla didn’t meet the deadline.
Power outages in Australia have at times crippled industry and Musk sent a tweet offering Tesla’s help. The offer quickly received an inquiry from Australian billionaire Michael Cannon-Brookes, the co-founder of Atlassian. And, Musk made a bet.
Tesla will get the system installed and working 100 days from contract signature or it is free. That serious enough for you?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 10, 2017
The successfully completed system will charge using renewable energy from the Hornsdale Wind Farm near Jamestown. Tesla says the batteries will provide enough power for more than 30,000 homes during a blackout period.
“An enormous amount of work has gone in to delivering this project in such a short time,” said South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill in a statement. “The world’s largest lithium ion battery will be an important part of our energy mix.”
In September 2016, a 50-year storm caused a state-wide blackout, leaving 1.7 million residents without electricity. More blackouts occurred in the heat of the Australian summer in early 2017. In response, the South Australian Government looked for a sustainable solution to ensure energy security for all residents. Tesla won the bidding process for the project.
Musk posted to Twitter to thank everyone involved.
Congratulations to the Tesla crew and South Australian authorities who worked so hard to get this manufactured and installed in record time! https://t.co/M2zKXlIVn3
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2017