South Australia could soon be powered by an enormous Tesla-built battery

[inanna]

Source: Washington Post

July 7 at 11:45 AM

Elon Musk just made an expensive wager: He will build the world’s largest lithium battery in just 100 days or he’ll pay for the whole project.

Musk’s electric car company Tesla announced Friday that it won the bid to build the battery in the Australian state of South Australia in an agreement that includes Neoen, a French renewable energy provider, and the South Australian government.

The idea started in March when Musk said Tesla could deliver an operational battery-powered system to the state and that he would begin the 100-day countdown once the official agreement was signed.

<snip>

Tesla’s 100MW/129MWh battery will partner with Neoen’s Hornsdale wind farm, which is north of South Australia, putting Australia at the center of global energy storage technology according to BusinessInsider.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/07/07/south-australia-could-soon-be-powered-by-an-enormous-tesla-built-battery/?utm_term=.c69bb7d5785c

[karynnj]

1. Best wishes to him

It was be amazing if he manages to pull this off. If he even gets close, I would imagine that this will kick off others trying to build on what worked and tweak or completely change what didn't.

[jpak]

2. We coulda been a contendah

But now all we's got is Trump Pallookaville

yup

[flibbitygiblets]

3. Meanwhile in 'Murika, we are bringing back COAL! Rick Perry can mansplain it better than I...

[AllaN01Bear]

4. hows he going to charge it , etc?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Beautiful Australian coal!

Well, I don't know. Maybe they've got something else in mind.

[jpak]

6. Wind farm from the article

n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. From the wind farm that's mentioned in the excerpt (nt)

[Kaleva]

8. Over worked and low paid hamsters.

[jberryhill]

9. Probably not going to charge it, but pay cash

[snooper2]

10. Fusion Power

[MrScorpio]

12. Dilithium Crystals.

[Dustlawyer]

13. Cow farts! Lol

[Sunlei]

11. I have sooo much envy of progressive countries over their 'free' energy from the wind, water & sun.

Tesla will build the battery in 100 days!

That's awesome, I wish our Sloth government could do ANYTHING (anything 'good') in 100 days.

[NobodyHere]

17. Free energy?

Electricity costs in the US is relatively cheap compared to most countries.

[Sunlei]

18. I mean the sun, wind, air, & moving water all are energy! right there, all that energy!

[jmowreader]

14. This is like throwing the keys to your house in the pot at a poker game

Help me out here. Musk is claiming he can have this massive LiIon battery - a battery of a size no one's ever attempted before - operational by midnight 100 days after the contract is signed. If not, he is going to donate the battery to the State of South Australia.

If he succeeds he's a big hero.

If he fails his hubris will destroy the company.

[NickB79]

16. If he's late delivering the battery, but it works, he'll still come off as a hero

Say it takes 150 days vs the 100 he promised. Yes, he's out the money on that massive battery, but the PR his company will get telling the world an entire state in Australia is powered by his battery is still priceless. And he'll then recoup that money and then some from investors throwing more cash at him.

About the only way this could truly fail and destroy the company is if the damn thing catches fire when it's powered up.

[Progressive dog]

15. From the article (?)

"In September, South Australia suffered significant infrastructure damage after a storm caused a statewide blackout and left 1.7 million citizens without electricity. Further blackouts occurred earlier this year in the heat of the Australian summer."

I guess the battery is supposed to prevent storms.