The State Electricity Commission (SEC) of the Australian state of Victoria recently announced it would use Tesla's Megapacks (giant lithium-ion batteries that store energy) for a groundbreaking battery project that will likely be among the world's largest.
The government-owned renewable energy company said the project, called the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (MREH), will consist of three massive battery units totaling 600 megawatts (MW).
Tesla will provide the powerful batteries for the storage system, which are crucial to the project's success since they increase grid stability and help to avoid outages.
When the facility comes online in 2025, the hub will deliver 1.6 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy storage — capable of powering up to 200,000 homes during peak hours, according to the SEC. The system harnesses excess power from rooftop solar panels and the energy grid, increasing Victoria's storage capacity.
With more solar and wind energy becoming available each year, the SEC anticipates being able to add storage in the future. The company invested $245 million into the construction of the battery storage park, as part of a plan to contribute $1 billion overall for future renewable energy projects that will add 4.5 GW of power to the grid.
As Victoria's energy demands rise, the MREH will help reduce reliance on dirty energy sources, which are heating up the planet. The project is vital to meeting the state government's goals of adding roughly 2.6 GW of battery storage by 2030 and 6.3 GW by 2035.
Australia leads the way in the development of lithium battery storage facilities, with two other Tesla Megapack parks located in New South Wales and South Australia, as Electrek reported.
While Tesla is revolutionizing the large-scale battery storage industry, it also offers Powerwalls to store excess energy from your home's rooftop solar panels. On average, installing a solar system can save you up to $1,500 on electric bills each year, plus you can get around $4,600 in tax benefits.
As the energy transition progresses, solar power will become even more affordable, making it easier for residents to make the switch.
"We're building critical energy projects under the SEC — investing in our grid so household bills go down for every Victorian with cheaper and more reliable renewable energy across the state," Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan said in a press release.
"The investment is a huge step forward in increasing Victoria's renewable storage capacity — which is critical to meeting our nation leading targets of 95 per cent renewable energy generation by 2035," Minister for the State Electricity Commission Lily D'Ambrosio also said in a statement.
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