Tesla has won a contract to build a battery for South Australia's grid in order to store electricity generated by renewable energy, following a collapse of the grid, last September, which caused 1.7 million residents to lose power, some for up to two weeks. Under the agreement, Tesla must deliver the 100-megawatt lithium ion battery within 100 days or else the company will have to foot the bill of around $50 million.
While the project may not seem as flashy as getting people to Mars or self-driving cars, it is a fundamental technology that countries will need going forward. Ian Lowe, a professor of science at Australia’s Griffith University, said:
“Cost-effective storage of electrical energy is the only problem holding us back from getting all of our power from wind and solar. This project is a significant innovation to demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale storage.”
A source from one of the competing companies which had been trying to get the contract cast doubt on whether Tesla could achieve the goal within the 100 days that it had been set. According to the unidentified source, while Tesla says it will only take three months to complete, a project of this kind usually takes six months.
Tesla's successful bid for the contract comes after it had drawn criticism from local industry wanting a fair go in the tender process.
Source: CGTN
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