Renewable energy developer Lunio Energy has commissioned its first Australian battery energy storage system (BESS), entering commercial operations in South Australia alongside local technology provider OptiGrid.
Located in Strathalbyn, the 20 megawatt-hour (MWh) grid-connected battery is now actively trading on the National Electricity Market (NEM).
The facility leverages OptiGrid’s proprietary AI platform, OptiBidder, to automate market bidding and optimise revenue generation.
The software platform utilises AI algorithms to process market signals, manage charge and discharge cycles, and participate across Contingency Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS) markets to capture value from regional spot price volatility.
Lunio Energy CEO Seth Thuraisingham said OptiGrid was selected following rigorous evaluation of its market capture rates and technical understanding of the South Australian grid.
“With the battery now live, OptiBidder is the engine that turns market volatility into revenue for the asset,” Thuraisingham said.
South Australia’s high proportion of wind and solar generation creates frequent price fluctuations, making automated, high-speed trading software critical for utility-scale storage assets to maintain commercial viability while supporting grid stability.
OptiGrid CEO Sahand Karimi noted that the Strathalbyn battery had already performed strongly during price cap events in June prior to its formal commissioning release.
“The high penetration of renewable energy in South Australia, while bringing many benefits, creates price volatility that is difficult to accurately forecast and respond to,” Karimi said.
“Our forecasting models and optimisation algorithms have been developed through years of research, and they’re built to turn that complexity into revenue.
“Beyond the technology, we configure OptiBidder to each operator’s trading strategy and commercial goals.
“With Lunio, we’re confident the Strathalbyn battery will perform at its best and deliver the maximum returns. It’s been great to see the battery already perform strongly through the recent South Australian price cap events in June.”
OptiGrid currently manages a trading portfolio exceeding 170 megawatts of hybrid and standalone storage assets.
The technology venture is backed by institutional investors including the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, IP Group, Hostplus, UNSW, Adelaide University, and EnergyLab.