FAQS
STORAGE
What technology is being used for the project?
The Hornsdale Power Reserve utilises Tesla’s Powerpack lithium-ion units and associated equipment. While this is the largest single battery Tesla has constructed, the technology has been proven on a smaller scale at several other sites worldwide. It is also the same technology as is used in Tesla vehicles, meaning that it has been subject to rigorous usage over millions of hours. Please see powerpack for more detail on Tesla’s Powerpack technology.
When was the Hornsdale Power Reserve constructed?
What are the benefits of battery energy storage?
In making the transition from fossil fuels to ‘baseload’ renewables, the ability to store and dispatch energy will play a key role. Pumped hydro is an example of longer-term storage; that is, suitable for storing energy and releasing it over days or weeks. However, pumped hydro has a relatively slow ‘ramping’ time and is less suitable for providing rapid-response services to grid contingency events such as outages or heat waves (with high demand created by air-conditioning). Battery storage, such as Tesla’s lithium-ion Powerpack technology, fills this key short-term role.
Below are some of the functions a grid-scale lithium-ion battery may be expected to perform:
- Network security services including Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS) and Network Loading Control Ancillary Services (NLCAS)
- System Restart Ancillary Services (SRAS)
- Arbitrage (spot market trading)
- Peak shaving
- Block/load shifting
- Renewable firming and smoothing
What benefits will the Hornsdale Power Reserve Expansion bring?
What is inertia?
This Australian-first battery technology will trial responding to supply fluctuations by automatically and rapidly charging and discharging. By imitating the behaviour of the existing fossil fuel-based services, the Hornsdale Power Reserve can arrest any grid frequency deviations through a clean and regenerative substitute.
The Australian Energy Market Operator has identified that the South Australian grid requires 6,000 megawatt-seconds (MWs) to maintain a secure operating level of inertia. It is anticipated that Hornsdale Power Reserve as expanded could provide up to 3,000MWs of inertia.
What is the life cycle of the Hornsdale Power Reserve?
How is the battery reducing costs for consumers?
- supporting more wind and solar, which are now the cheapest forms of power
- increasing competition in ancillary markets and pushing electricity prices down
- helping to avoid blackouts and the associated costs
What happens to the batteries when they reach the end of their life?
Health & Culture
Are there any health risks?
Is the project reducing air quality?
Visual observation of machinery is undertaken during site inspections in addition to daily pre-start checks which ensure all machinery has appropriate emission control devices, is in good working order and is maintained correctly.