(Australian Associated Press)
South Australia will soon be home to an array of lithium ion batteries from Tesla, which says the energy storage project is not only sustainable, but will help solve power shortages, reduce intermittencies and manage the state’s summertime peak load.
* The 100-megawatt lithium ion battery will be more than three times the size of the world’s current largest storage facility which is 30 megawatt.
*The array will be able to store 129 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy.
* It will be built near Jamestown in SA’s mid-north and will be paired to the existing Hornsdale wind farm operated by French renewable energy company Neoen.
*It is expected to be operational by this December.
* It could have a life of more than 30 years, but will require upgrades during that time.
* Musk has promised to deliver the battery within 100 days from official approval or it will be supplied free.
* The battery will store renewable energy generated by the wind farm with a view to stabilising the state’s electricity grid and putting downward pressure on prices.
* Lithium-ion batteries are one of the most energetic rechargeable batteries available.
* The electrodes are made of lithium and carbon making them lightweight and highly reactive – a lot of energy can be stored in the atomic bonds giving the batteries a high energy density.
* South Australia’s array of lithium-ion batteries will be made using Tesla commercial-scale Powerpack batteries.
* Each pack weighs 1600 kilograms and is 2.1 metres tall, 1.3 metres long and 0.8 metres wide.
* Tesla’s says the grid of connected batteries could power up to 30,000 homes if there was another blackout.