OptiGrid’s Sahand Karimi examines why state of charge & algorithm quality drove divergent outcomes during SA1’s AU$20,300/MWh price cap on 21 June.

The Australian government has announced the results of Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) Tender 8, selecting 15 battery energy storage projects across the National Electricity Market (NEM), totalling 4.2GW/16.1GWh.

South Australia’s SA1 trading region reached the NEM AU$20,300/MWh price cap twice during the evening of 21 June.

South Australia’s first Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism (FERM) tender has awarded agreements to six battery energy storage projects totalling 1,334MW and 5,336MWh.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) have emerged as the defining feature of Australia’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) Tender 7, with 2GW/7.9GWh of co-located energy storage successful.

Australia has emerged as the world’s third-largest utility-scale battery energy storage market, with 4.3GW of large-scale battery storage systems reaching financial close in 2025.

Two battery energy storage systems (BESS) in South Australia and Queensland have received federal environmental clearance under the EPBC Act.

BESS in Australia’s NEM more than tripled their daytime-to-evening energy shifting in the first quarter of 2026, according to AEMO.

Australian infrastructure contractor GenusPlus Group has been awarded an AU$110 million (US$78.5 million) engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract for the 200MW/800MWh Koolunga battery energy storage system (BESS) in South Australia.

CleanPeak Energy Holdings has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Sustainable Energy Infrastructure (SEI), one of Australia’s largest owners and developers of sub-5MW solar and battery storage assets.