Lunio Energy Brings 20MWh Grid-Scale Battery Storage System Online in South Australia

Lunio Energy, a battery storage developer operating in South Australia, has launched its first grid-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) in Strathalbyn and begun trading in the National Electricity Market (NEM). The system is optimized by OptiGrid's OptiBidder platform and responds to real-time market signals.

The 5 MW/20 MWh Strathalbyn BESS is located in the Alexandrina Council area, approximately 60 km south of Adelaide. The system is designed to store low-cost energy and discharge when prices rise. Future plans include participation in the frequency control ancillary services (FCAS) markets.

Lunio Energy is part of the Australian technology and infrastructure group Lunio Group. Other products in the group include Canopy, an AI-based vegetation management tool for electricity networks, and Streamline, a dynamic pricing platform for transportation and logistics operators.

OptiGrid's OptiBidder platform uses AI-based forecasting and optimization algorithms to make charging and discharging decisions and submit bids in the energy and FCAS markets. The platform manages over 170 MW of assets in hybrid and standalone BESS projects in Australia.

Lunio Energy CEO Seth Thuraisingham said, "We chose OptiGrid due to the strong performance of OptiBidder and its depth of knowledge about how batteries operate in the NEM and South Australia."

OptiGrid CEO Sahand Karimi said, "The South Australian market presents both opportunities and challenges for operators. High renewable energy penetration causes price volatility, creating a difficult environment to predict and respond to."

Karimi also noted that the battery storage system performed successfully during the June price cap events, prior to full FCAS participation.

South Australia has more operating battery storage capacity per unit of demand than other NEM regions and is also prone to extreme price events. In June, the SA1 trading region reached the market price cap of AU$20,300/MWh (US$14,198/MWh) twice in a single evening, resulting in an estimated AU$324,000 in revenue for the fleet.

Lunio Energy and OptiGrid are joining a growing battery storage fleet in South Australia. Wärtsilä recently completed the 150 MW/300 MWh Bungama BESS project for Revera Energy, and the Waratah Super Battery and Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub have pushed total battery storage capacity in the NEM above 10 GWh.

Source: Energy Storage News