SINGAPORE (Sept 29): Six months after wagering he can build the world’s biggest battery, entrepreneur Elon Musk is back Down Under to defy his doubters.

The boss of Tesla Inc. will descend on South Australia on Friday to unveil progress on a giant battery seen critical to averting crippling power shortages in the state. Musk has promised to have the battery packs in place at a huge wind farm by Dec 1 -- the start of the southern hemisphere summer -- to help South Australia avoid a repeat of a state-wide blackout last year.

For the billionaire, who has a habit of hatching ambitious ideas ranging from an 800-mph solar-powered hyperloop to a space-based Internet, it’s not just reputation that’s on the line. He’s pledged to provide the battery installation in Australia’s outback for free if he can’t get it working within 100 days of a contract being signed.

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