Australia just switched on the world's biggest battery

by Daniel Shane @CNNTech

The world's biggest lithium ion battery has started delivering power.

Activating the massive system in South Australia fulfills a bold pledge by Tesla CEO Elon Musk to build the battery in 100 days or provide it for free.

The electric car company's Powerpack battery system stores energy generated by a nearby wind farm and is capable of providing electricity for as many as 30,000 homes. It is three times more powerful than its nearest competitor.

The new Tesla system is part of efforts to address energy supply problems in South Australia, which has suffered high-profile blackouts in recent years.

"South Australia is now leading the world in dispatchable renewable energy," the state's premier, Jay Weatherill, said in a statement Friday. "This is history in the making."

Tesla (TSLA) said it hopes the project "provides a model for future deployments around the world."

The U.S. electric car company was awarded a deal to build the battery earlier this year along with French renewable energy firm Neoen.

But some experts say the giant Tesla battery alone isn't enough to solve the state's energy problems.

The battery also might not be the world's biggest for long.

Hyundai Electric & Energy Systems is building one in South Korea that is about 50% bigger than Tesla's. It's scheduled to charge up early next year.

Full story and image source credit: http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/01/technology/tesla-battery-south-australia/