We are getting a good look at the progress Tesla has made at its Moss Landing Megapack project thanks to some new drone flyover footage.
Reports that PG&E was in talks with Tesla surfaced after the company submitted 4 new energy storage projects to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for approval in a few years back. Two of which are now expected to become the world’s largest battery systems.
Dynegy is involved in one of the battery system projects and is expected to deploy a 300MW/1,200MWh on PG&E’s grid. The second involves Tesla which is expected to deploy a 182.5MW/730MWh initially but it could eventually reach up to 1.1GWh.
Tesla’s proposal for the project surfaced in 2018 showing the company’s plan to use “Megapack” rather than of its typical use of Powerpack in its larger scale projects.
After receiving approval for the project earlier last year, construction on the first phase of the project began in July. A few months later, PG&E confirmed that the first Tesla Megapacks had been installed at its Moss Landing substation:
Now, thanks to some new flyover drone footage, we are able to see that the project’s first phase is close to completion:
Of course both companies still have their work cut out for them before going online, but it seems like the project has the potential to move at the “speed of Tesla.”
According to the PG&E, the expect the Moss Landing BESS to “save more than $100 million over the 20-year life of the project, when compared to the forecasted local capacity requirements and associated procurement costs that would have been necessary in absence of the BESS.”
With the addition of PG&E’s Moss Landing project, Tesla’s energy storage deployment will reach even higher highs than its seen in recent months. However, the project is not expected to be completed until later this year.