Work has been going on for some time to put the US state of Hawaii’s energy supply in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a sustainable basis. Among other things, it is planned to shut down the last remaining coal-fired power plant on the island of Oahu and put a large battery system from Tesla megapacks into operation in its place. And now the past and future met there almost directly: According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the last coal delivery for Hawaii and megapacks for the new plant arrived at the same time.
Tesla boss shows change in Hawaii
According to the website for the Kapolei Energy Storage (KES) battery project on Oahu, the fossil power plant on the same island was actually supposed to be shut down in early September. Like the installation of the Tesla battery, that seems to be delayed, but is now getting closer. This is supported by the arrival of the last coal delivery, according to Musk, as well as the arrival of the megapacks.
One of the photos published by the Tesla boss on Thursday shows a long ship in the harbor on which the coal is likely to be. A smaller image with an enlarged section of the background is latched into it. “Last shipment of coal arrives in Hawaii, KES site in the background,” reads the text above it. The small photo doesn’t show much, even though it’s enlarged, but Musk posted another one with the facility in the foreground.
Last coal shipment arrived in Hawaii at same time as Tesla Megapack batteries that will enable 24/7 sustainable energy pic.twitter.com/zlqJHLsAQq
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 28, 2022
Around 40 white blocks can be seen from the air on a triangular leveled area similar to the computer plans for the project (see photo above). It should be a Tesla Megapack each, and around 30 of them are available at the edge. After the initial announcement of the KES project in May 2020, a total of 158 megapacks with a combined output of 185 megawatts and 565 megawatt hours of capacity were reported. To complete it, the same number of modules should be needed as in the Musk photo.
Megapack restart in the event of a power failure
When they arrive and are installed, and the last of the coal has been burned not far from them, the Tesla battery might play a central role in the island’s clean energy supply. Like other systems of this type, it is designed to store electricity from renewable sources when it is available in abundance. In addition, it should also be used for a restart if the entire network collapses – according to one Report from local publication Canary Media This happened in 2006 and 2008 due to earthquakes and a storm. In addition, the rapid response capability of the Megapack system should prevent such cases from the outset. The electricity supply in Hawaii is not only becoming cleaner, but also safer.
