US-based Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has commissioned its 182.5MW Tesla Megapack battery energy storage system (BESS) at its Moss Landing electric substation in Monterey County.

Called Elkhorn Battery, the lithium-ion system is one of the largest in the world and one of the many batteries scheduled for commissioning between 2022 and 2024.

The BESS was fully energised and certified by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) after the completion of final tests. It will also participate in the CAISO wholesale electric markets.

PG&E noted that the new BESS system has the capacity to integrate renewable energy sources while improving the reliability of California’s energy supply.

Elkhorn Battery features 256 Tesla Megapack battery units on 33 concrete slabs and is equipped with transformers and switchgears to supply the energy stored in the batteries with the 115kv electric transmission system.

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The battery is charged when the solar energy production is high, and the power from the BESS system is supplied to the grid when there is high demand for electricity.

It has the capacity to deliver up to 730MWh of energy to the electrical grid for up to four hours.

PG&E Corporation CEO Patti Poppe said: “We are ushering in a new era of electric system reliability and delivering a vision into the future for our customers with the commissioning of the Tesla Megapack system in Moss Landing.

“We are committed to safely delivering reliable and clean energy in a way that achieves the greatest value for our customers, but we can’t go it alone into this clean energy future.

“Projects like this require innovative partners, such as Tesla, and PG&E will continue to seek out and work with the best and brightest to provide breakthrough clean energy solutions for our customers.”