Elon Musk's giant battery set for testing in South Australia

[SYDNEY] Billionaire Elon Musk's giant battery being built in the Australian outback will be energised in coming days and begin testing, indicating Tesla is on track to meet a 100-day self-imposed deadline to install the system.

Tesla power packs have now been fully installed on a site near a wind farm north of Adelaide and will be tested to ensure the battery meets standards laid down by the energy market operator, the South Australia state government said in a statement Thursday.

Mr Musk is building the world's largest lithium-ion battery system to help the state avert crippling electricity blackouts that have spurred a nationwide debate about security of energy supply in Australia.

The futurist chief executive made a bet on Twitter in March that he could install a 100-megawatt storage facility within 100 days or it would be free, and the clock started ticking at the end of September when the contract was signed.

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