CHINA WILL BE VERY MUCH SHORT IN LITHIUM, page-304

Let's calculate the size of the BESS for the data centres (including AI and cryptocurrency centres).

Firstly, we need to know that the exact BESS capacity (in MW or MWh) of large size data centers are is not publicly specified. We know there are very large size Microsoft DCs in Ireland (the one third of total country power goes to data centres) and Google are in Finland, but they don't give the sizes of them. Anyway we can doit ourselves. Not a rocket science.

It's simple. You need to know the hourly power need for the data centre first. It's normally given by the owners, e.g. "100MWh datacentre". The given 100MW is the hourly power it needs. The you can calculate the yearly power consumption by multiplying that by 24 hours and then by 365 days.

Then you can say "I want my data centre to run 15 minutes without grid power, I want the diesel generators to kick in after that" That's a kind of UPS style backup. Roughly you'd need a 25MW BESS for that (100MWh / 15min).

BESS in Large Data Centers can be mainly 3 types;

1. Typical BESS Sizes: For large data centers (100–300 MW total load) (300MW is being the total capacity, while 100MW is being the hourly feed), BESS capacities typically range from 10–100 MW and 20–200 MWh, depending on the backup duration (5 minutes to 4 hours).
2. Hyperscale facilities (e.g., AWS, Google, Microsoft) often use smaller BESS (10–50 MWh) for UPS functions, paired with diesel generators for longer outages.
3. Emerging AI-driven data centers may require larger BESS (100+ MWh) due to higher power spikes.

Attention: We are not talking about the grid scale utility BESS here yet.
They are much bigger. They supply power to the towns and industries. And they are being much bigger. Examples in Australia;

• Waratah Super Battery - NSW. Capacity: 850 MW / 1,680 MWh (1,7GWh)
• Battery Energy Storage System - WA. Capacity: 660 MW / 2,640 MWh (2.6GWh).
• Collie Battery Energy Storage System - WA. Capacity: 500 MW / 2,000 MWh (2GWh)
• Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub. Capacity: 1,200 MW / 2,400 MWh (2.4GWh)
• Hazelwood BESS - VIC. Capacity: 150 MW / 1,200 MWh (1.2GWh)

Datacentre examples;

Microsoft has integrated BESS in several of its data centers, including Dublin, to support grid stability and sustainability goals. While specific capacities for Dublin are not fully disclosed, Microsoft’s BESS installations typically range from 10–50 MW, designed for 5–15 minutes of backup to bridge to diesel generators or little bit longer for peak shaving. Another Microsoft project in Sweden uses a 20 MW per hour / 40 MWh total BESS for grid support.

The 20 MWh capacity is modest compared to the data center’s total load, indicating it’s part of a hybrid backup system with generators. However Microsoft aims to phase out diesel generators by 2030, making BESS critical.

Hyperscale BESS facilities example:
100MW per hours for 4 Hours supply - supporting ONLY the critical infrastructure like data centers (supply for peak time)
Btw, there are big size BESS systems have been deployed atm, like the one AES Alamitos BESS (Southern California, USA) has. I believe there will be many others will be built like that one. These are not the BESS open to public grid, but they are only feeding the critical infrastructure like data centers.

While not a data center itself, the AES Alamitos BESS is a utility-scale storage system supporting critical infrastructure, including nearby data centers in California’s tech-heavy regions. It’s relevant as a benchmark for large-scale BESS supporting data center-like loads.
Operational since 2020, this lithium-ion BESS has a capacity of 400 MWh (total power) and can supply 100MW per hours (supply for 4 hours). designed to replace a natural gas plantand provide peak power for up to 4 hours. It serves high-demand areas, including data centers operated by companies like Equinix or Digital Realty in California.

CALCULATION FOR TOTAL POWER NEED OF DATA CENTRES.

We found out the total energy consumption for one year;

• 460TW in 2022,
• 1,000TW in 2026 (forecast)
• 1,500TW in 2030 (forecast)

Let's get year 2026, it's next year. Very close.

1,000TWH is the consumption for the whole year.
1,000TW = 1,000,000GW = 1,000,000,000MW

Daily consumption (divided by 365) = 2,740GW

Hourly consumption (2,740GW / 24) =>
= 114GWh = 114,000MWh

(There was 11,800 data centres in 2024, and the consumption was 460TW.
That means the power consumption was 53GWh = 53,000MWh at that time)

We need to calculate the BESS capacity from here.

If the hourly power need of total data centres is 114GWh, then we need to make an assumption for average time period for the BESS to supply power to the data centre. It's called the Backup Duration (Hours)

Btw, we need to use the 85% usability factor for the BESS. So we will increase the capacity around 20% (adjusted for 90% battery efficiency and 80% Depth of Discharge).

Backup duration can be 15 min, 1/2 hour, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 2 days, 5 days,.. etc. That will be different for each datacentre.

We can make the calculation all of them and find out the lithium demand for them.

As you can see on the calculation sheet below;

If they want to have a BESS to power the whole datacentres for 4 hours (in 2026), 536GWh BESS capacity is needed.

The LCE (lithium carbonate equivalent) lithium needed in the BESS batteries is 456kt.

456kt LCE, again and interestingly is the amount of whole Australian spod mines produces in one year.

I'm leaving the rest for you to comment.