The world’s biggest battery, the Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia is getting a jump start. In fact, the “Tesla Big Battery” is going to expanded by 50 per cent. The plan is to provide additional grid stability and lower energy prices, although the cynic inside me almost knocked me out just typing those words.
However, the site is set to become the first to have genuine impact on the grid and so called inertia benefits to the National Electricity Market .
Neoen, by the way is one of the world’s leaders when it comes to renewable energy, while Tesla, well if you’re not across it you’ve been in a coma.
The 50 MW/64.5 MWh expansion is said to have saved consumers $50 million AUD after one year of operation.
Even though the site is the biggest of its size already, it still only provides a miniscule amount of stored power for South Australia let alone anywhere else. However, what it does demonstrate is potential. The ability to combine with wind and solar resources and store that power has to be worked on, so I’m personally glad someone is.
On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency has committed $8 million AUD in grant funding through its Advancing Renewables Program.
The project will also be the first battery project in Australia to benefit from debt financing support from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).
Ultimately this is the way we seem to have decided to go. Even though we could power the globe very safely via nuclear power and the endless Uranium just laying buried.
But who am I to raise that debate?
