Elon Musk beats his 100 day deadline to power up the world’s biggest battery
The world's thirst for renewable energy is increasing, almost exponentially, and dips in supply have to be met from battery storage systems like these.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Elon Musk beats his 100 day deadline to power up the world’s biggest battery', 311 Institute, 18 November. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/elon-musk-beats-his-100-day-deadline-to-power-up-the-worlds-biggest-battery/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Elon Musk started building a giant mega battery for the South Australian outback earlier this year with the aim of preventing the blackouts that have plagued the region throughout the years, and he bet that he could complete the project within 100 days or it would be free, an estimated $50 million.
Now though the good folks of South Australia have cause to both celebrate and sulk, because on the one hand they’ve got the new reliable, renewable power grid they craved, but because Musk completed in not just on time but ahead of time, they are the ones having to cough up $50 million. Still, at least they can sulk while watching the telly with the lights on… and the fact that Musk managed not only to deliver what he promised on time but ahead of time is an astonishing feat, and one that has to have traditional power companies quaking in their boots.
The massive lithium-ion Tesla battery, which is similar to the ones that Tesla deployed onto the island of Tau in the Pacific earlier this year, will even begin testing ahead of Musk’s December 1st deadline, which is good news for the region - just last year, the area was hit with major, state wide blackouts after storm winds literally ripped transmission towers out of the ground.
“South Australia is set to have backup power in place this summer through the world’s largest lithium-ion battery, which is set to be energized for the first time in the coming days as it enters a phase of regulatory testing,” said State Premier Jay Weatherill.
As renewable energy sources advance, battery capacity is becoming more and more important to ensuring energy availability, and in a place like the Southern Australian outback where blackouts are a relatively common, yet dangerous, occurrence, these sorts of batteries are increasingly essential.
The mega battery will be connected to a wind farm operated by French energy firm Neoen, and will be so large that it can hold enough energy to power thousands of homes in the event of a crisis. Not only will the battery allow the state to be prepared for emergencies, but it will also support Australia’s continued progress in switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and as the country takes steps towards this ultimate goal, efforts like the mega battery will let energy, like that created from the wind farm, to be stored efficiently. It’s a great day for Musk and Southern Australia.
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The world's thirst for renewable energy is increasing, almost exponentially, and dips in supply have to be met from battery storage systems like these.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Neoen neoen.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 18 November 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Elon Musk beats his 100 day deadline to power up the world’s biggest battery. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/elon-musk-beats-his-100-day-deadline-to-power-up-the-worlds-biggest-battery/
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