In September of 2016, South Australia experienced a number of rolling blackouts, resulting in a catastrophic power outage that left the entire state shrouded in darkness, costing businesses AU$367 million in the process.
Some blamed the sudden and unexpected closure of the state's coal-fired power station in Port Augusta for putting extra strain on power systems, while reports also placed the onus on bad wind farm settings.
Elon Musk, CEO of the automaker and energy storage company Tesla, Inc, took notice of South Australia's energy troubles, and in March of this year issued a tweet promising to solve the problem with the installation of a new power system within "100 days from contract signature or it is free."
Now, Tesla has officially announced that it will be teaming up with the South Australian Government and the French energy company Neoen to install the world's largest sustainable energy system.
You've got the power
"This week, through a competitive bidding process, Tesla was selected to provide a 100 MW/129 MWh Powerpack system to be paired with global renewable energy provider Neoen’s Hornsdale Wind Farm near Jamestown, South Australia," said the official statement on the deal.
"Upon completion by December 2017, this system will be the largest lithium-ion battery storage project in the world and will provide enough power for more than 30,000 homes, approximately equal to the amount of homes that lost power during the blackout period."
The billionaire magnate took to Twitter to announce that "this will be the highest power battery system in the world by a factor of 3."
The state's premier, Jay Weatherill, confirmed the deal, stating that he's "thrilled with the selection of Neoen and Tesla, whose experience and world leadership in energy security and renewables will help South Australia take charge of its energy future.”
