Hitachi Energy has entered a 20-year service agreement with Australian developer Akaysha Energy to support the 155MW/298MWh Ulinda Park battery energy storage system (BESS) in Queensland’s Western Downs region.
The Long-Term Service Agreement (LTSA), delivered through Hitachi Energy’s HMAX Energy suite, combines power conversion technology with digitally enabled monitoring, predictive maintenance, and 24/7 remote support.
According to the two companies, the arrangement establishes accountability for performance and availability across the full asset lifecycle.
Hitachi Energy supplied the power converters, control technology, and commissioning support that enabled Ulinda Park’s entry into Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) in November 2025. The facility now provides frequency control ancillary services (FCAS) and energy arbitrage, responding to grid signals.
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“Ulinda Park is now delivering fast frequency response and energy shifting in the NEM, improving system stability and giving us the flexibility to respond to market signals,” said Feri Hamori, chief operating officer at Akaysha Energy.
“With a standardised platform in place and a strong services solution, we are well-positioned to build on this performance as our footprint expands.”
Construction on the project began in late 2023, following a final investment decision secured through a 10-year revenue swap deal with Re2, a provider of backstops for power purchase agreements and revenue hedging structures. The arrangement allows Akaysha to operate and trade the asset in the NEM while receiving contracted revenues from Re2.
Ulinda Park’s location leverages existing grid infrastructure that previously served fossil fuel generation in the Western Downs, with the site connecting to a substation hub also used by other battery storage developers, including utility CS Energy.
An expansion phase will add a further 195MW/780MWh, taking the site’s total output to 350MW and storage capacity to 1,078MWh after Ulinda Park secured a contract under the Australian federal government’s third Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) tender round.
Long-term service partnerships to address lifecycle risks
The 20-year agreement reflects a broader industry shift toward extended service contracts as battery storage projects mature beyond initial deployment phases.
Long-term service agreements address operational risks associated with maintaining availability, regulatory compliance, and market performance throughout multi-decade asset lifecycles.
Hitachi Energy’s HMAX Energy platform integrates Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity across assets, enabling continuous monitoring and predictive analytics designed to identify potential issues before they affect system performance.
The service model will combine remote diagnostics with on-site technical support, aiming to reduce unplanned downtime and maintain the system’s ability to participate in FCAS markets that require sub-second response times.
“Battery storage projects like Ulinda Park show the powerful combination of deep technology expertise, advanced digital skills and long-term service partnerships – supporting customers throughout the lifecycle of their assets,” said Wolf Mueller, CEO of service at Hitachi Energy.
AI-enabled service delivery and global support model
The LTSA’s structure centres on Hitachi Energy’s HMAX Energy platform, which provides what Andrew Tonkin, strategic account manager for power conversion solutions at Hitachi Energy, describes as “accountability for performance and availability across the full asset lifecycle.”
“The AI-enabled solution enables reliable market participation and regulatory compliance while maintaining the safe and stable operation of one of Queensland’s largest battery energy storage systems,” Tonkin says, speaking exclusively to Energy-Storage.news.
On-ground support for the 155MW/298MWh project will be provided by Hitachi’s Australian in-house service engineers, technicians, and contractors, complemented by specialist 24/7 support via the company’s Global Operation Centre.
The centre operates across three shifts in three different regions, what Tonkin describes as following “the sun around the globe” to provide safe and reliable operations of the BESS at all hours of the day.
The Global Operation Centre can analyse, troubleshoot, and remotely automate corrective and predictive maintenance, addressing potential issues before they affect system performance or market participation.
“The 20-year long-term service agreement is a great example showcasing how battery storage supports renewable energy integration, grid stability, and market participation in Australia,” Tonkin says. “AI-enabled, lifecycle services are key to ensuring availability, resilience, and future-ready energy systems.”
Tonkin adds that the HMAX Energy suite’s predictive analytics and IoT monitoring capabilities “deliver proactive grid management advice for the asset, facilitating predictive maintenance and fleet management, increasing availability and energy and FCAS market participation.”
The platform combines continuous IoT monitoring with master Power Plant and FCAS control. “With this HMAX Energy project, Hitachi brings continuous IoT monitoring side by side with the inherent master Power Plant and FCAS control providing optimum plant enabled for trading and FCAS,” Tonkin explains.
“The digital innovation and service leadership with HMAX Energy underpinning the Ulinda Park service agreement ensure that Akaysha Energy assets can operate safely, meet market and regulatory demands,” he adds.
Akaysha Energy continues to expand its portfolio in Australia
Akaysha Energy has established itself as a major player in Australia’s utility-scale battery storage sector, developing what it describes as the “world’s most powerful battery storage system,” the 850MW/1,680MWh Waratah Super Battery in New South Wales.
The battery storage system achieved its first full output to the NEM in October last year. However, a catastrophic transformer failure raised concerns around the project before it entered a planned balance of plant shutdown from 20 November to 2 December.
Since then, the developer has confirmed that it is scheduled to receive its transformer replacement in the third quarter of 2026, enabling the project to reach its full size.
Waratah Super Battery, described as a “giant shock absorber for the grid,” will deliver essential services under a System Integrity Protection Scheme (SIPS) contract.
Beyond Australia, Akaysha has exposure in several international markets, including the US, Japan and Germany. In September 2025, the group secured an AU$300 million (US$214 million) corporate debt facility to support its expansion into these markets.
More recently, the company switched on a 410MWh grid-forming BESS five months ahead of schedule and entered a 300MWh BESS into NEM trading in Queensland.
The BlackRock-backed developer has been weighing funding options to support its battery storage expansion across Australia.
Akaysha Energy’s operational portfolio now encompasses 1.4GWh across multiple Australian markets, with 4.5GWh under construction and an additional 30GWh in development globally.
Interested in Australia? Read Energy-Storage.news’ Energy Storage Summit Australia coverage and related content.
