Tesla is Mysteriously Stockpiling Megapacks | Here Are Some Theories

In a tweet by the OttoPilot, reshared by Electrek, it can be seen that Tesla has begun stockpiling a massive number of Megapacks at their Nevada battery gigafactory.

Tesla Found Stockpiling Megapacks in a Nevada Factory

Megapacks are home energy storage systems operated by Tesla. It is also known as the Powerwall, where they store energy for the models they produce. There are already some speculations as to why Tesla has been stockpiling a lot of them in their gigafactory, but there are no statements from them explaining the reason as of yet.

Megapack systems have been established in areas where Tesla is also producing their vehicles. According to previous reports, these are found in places where they plan to ramp up their production. Some believe there might be two reasons for Tesla's plan to stockpile Megapacks. For one, it might be because these are batteries unsold due to global supply issues. On the other hand, it can be because Tesla is also pushing through a new battery storage project.

The latter might be supported by some reports where Texas and Tesla have stated their willingness to work together to address energy supply gaps. However, there are still no reports as of yet on the updates of that partnership.

In an image reshared by Electrek, it is shown that the number of stockpiled Megapacks is now beyond 500. Each of these Megapacks can store a load of 1.5GWh of power, given that each pack can carry 3 MWh. Many are still waiting for updates on the situation as they try to find out why Tesla has been stockpiling these Megapacks.

Tesla's Megapack Projects

Tesla has deployed Megapacks across the globe, including for a few projects in Australia, like Edify Energy's 150MW and 300MWh battery storage system in New South Wales. Tesla reported in Q2 2021 that its energy storage deployments tripled year-over-year, primarily driven by the "recognition of several Megapack projects."

Tesla's expanding energy storage deployments last year were considerably aided by the Tesla Megapack deployments. Tesla's energy storage deployments surged by 71 percent year over year in Q3 2021 and by 32 percent year over year in the fourth quarter of last year.

Tesla announced that the Powerwall was primarily responsible for the 90 percent YoY increase in energy deployments to 846 MWh in the first quarter of 2022. However, Elon Musk stated on the Q2 2021 earnings call that the Megapack is sold out through the end of 2022. The business said that in large part because of continued supply chain difficulties, demand for its energy storage devices continues to be higher than capacity.

Tesla intends to increase production at its specialized Megapack factory in Lathrop, California, in order to meet the company's rising demand. Giga Nevada appears to be working arduously to create and distribute as many Megapacks as possible in the interim.

Grid-scale batteries will be more required as the world depends more on renewable energy sources, and the Tesla Megapack is prepared to fill that role. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that installations of battery energy storage systems increased by 50% from 2019 to a record 5GW in 2020. In particular, China and the United States installed gigawatts, which will make up two-thirds of all new capacity in 2020.

Additionally, according to the IEA, total investments in battery storage rose by 40% in 2020, reaching $5.5 billion. The Biden-Harris Administration declared last month that $90 billion would be raised for "High-Priority" Demonstration Projects this Decade. Innovative green technologies like grid-scale energy storage are among the investments.