It’s official - Elon Musk’s company Tesla will build the world’s largest lithium storage facility at a wind farm in South Australia by the end of this year.

According to a variety of news reports, the successful tender between Tesla and French green energy company Neoen will be built at the Hornsdale Wind Farm in the north of the state.

Musk who flew to Adelaide last week to make the announcement noted that this battery storage facility will be three times the size of anything currently in existence.

While South Australia leads the country in renewable energy usage, this development will make it a global leader in green energy output.

As the winning bid, Tesla beat 91 other competitors, with the US-based company noting that this decision means that South Australia will now be able to “take charge of its energy future.”

For its part, Hornsdale Wind Farm consists of 99 wind turbines producing up to 315MW of renewable energy.

The new battery will have a capacity of up to 129MW, with 70 percent of its output being reserved for government use while the remaining 30 percent to be released into the market.

The completion date for the project is the start of the upcoming Australian summer.
Speaking to The Lead, South Australian premier Jay Weatherall said this project will have many positive economic developments for the state.

“This historic agreement does more than bring a sustainable energy giant in Tesla to South Australia, it will also have some significant economic spin-offs,” he said.

Neoen deputy CEO, Romain Desrousseaux confirmed the lithium ion battery build will become the largest commercially feasible storage battery in the world when complete.

“South Australian customers will be the first to benefit from this technology which will demonstrate that large-scale battery storage is both possible and now, commercially viable,” Desrousseaux told The Lead.

“Together, the South Australian Government, Neoen and Tesla will demonstrate that renewables can provide dependable, distributable power that will turn a new page in Australia’s energy future,” he said.

Branko Miletic

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