Coal powered electricity networks never used battery backup. They had spare capacity that covered breakdowns as does any factory.
After writing previous post, I wondered how much impact the Tesla battery of the Hornsdale Power Reserve actually has on the South Australia grid. Just looking at the numbers (the battery has a capacity of 100 MW and can deliver 129 MWh), I expected it to be rather insignificant. In the meanwhile, I came across a heated discussion on a reblog of previous post on the blog “Utopia, you are standing in it!“. That post was about the Tesla battery of the Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia. The discussion started with the comment that South Australia is a net exporter and after the question how long the Tesla battery would last, this suprising claim was made:
Long enough to stop potential blackouts in Melbourne because of the unreliability of their coal fired power stations! […]
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Utopia, you are standing in it! 
Mar 22, 2020 @ 17:46:37
The Telsa battery is in SA. It helped obviate a v blackout some three years ago but that was one init breaking down. It could not two years ago because three units are way too much even with help elsewhere.
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 01:52:41
When in hole, stop digging…
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 10:10:15
well the author was confused as are you obviopusly
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 11:40:26
How long can the battery keep the SA system running?
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 12:42:15
It doesn’t have to.
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 15:07:53
Then what is it backing up?
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 15:45:34
It is backing up the electricity market. It is the best form of dispatchable power and has led to a reduction of wholesale prices.
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 15:53:48
for how long? for how much does it increase capacity?
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 15:59:13
Jim,
do you understand the OZ electricity system?
It is one of the silliest questions yet.
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 16:07:25
so you dont want to give a number
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 16:07:54
What numbers are used to work out whether the battery backup is sufficient or not
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 17:21:57
Jim,
Telsa was commissioned by the previous SA government because they di dnot want to experience another blackout because of interconnector failures.
SA does need to rely on the interconnector any longer
Now it is used by AEMO as the best form of dispatchable power
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 02:05:31
For how long can the Tesla battery power South Australia?
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Mar 23, 2020 @ 10:11:39
It is part of the whole system. you know the one that had no trouble at all when the interconnector could help out SA recently
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