How Queensland's grid-scale batteries performed in H1 2026: energy and FCAS market revenue, $/MW, $/MWh, top performers, and price events.
Queensland (QLD1) batteries earned $44.88M in estimated gross energy and FCAS market revenue in H1 2026, from 15 grid-scale units tracked by NEMPulse. Figures cover the full period.
Normalised across 2,914 MW and 7,000 MWh of registered capacity, the region earned $15k/MW and $6,411/MWh for the period.
Total revenue was up 3% on H2 2025, which returned $43.53M. Per MW per day — which strips out both fleet growth and the length of the window — earnings were down 32% at $85/MW/day. Optimal capture slipped 8 points, from 63% to 55%.
Energy arbitrage supplied 89% of the total and FCAS 10%, with estimated Frequency Performance Payments adding $406k. Within FCAS, regulation accounted for 28% and contingency 72%; the single largest market was lower 6-second at $1.43M.
For context on the trading conditions, the average daily price spread (top two hours minus bottom two hours) in Queensland was $115/MWh, down 37% on the previous period, and the highest spot price reached $19,728/MWh.
Against the perfect-foresight energy benchmark, Queensland batteries captured 55% of what hindsight would have earned, an estimated $32.12M of unrealised upside.
On capture of the perfect-foresight energy benchmark, the strongest performers were Brendale BESS (63%), Western Downs Battery Energy Storage System (61%), Tarong BESS (60%). At the other end: Chinchilla BESS, Units 1-80 (44%), Bouldercombe Battery Project (38%), Broadsound Energy Park (-44%) — capture reflects strategy, contracting and constraints as much as skill, so a low figure is not automatically underperformance.
The strongest single day was 15 Jan 2026 at $2.06M, and the best single battery-day was Supernode BESS on 15 Jan 2026 with $602k. Revenue stays concentrated: five of the period's 181 days delivered 10% of everything Queensland batteries earned.
3 batteries earned their first market revenue in the period — Supernode BESS, Woolooga BESS, Stanwell Battery Energy Storage System — adding 782 MW of earning capacity.
Tarong BESS led the region with $6.61M. Full dispatch, state-of-charge and bidding detail is available on each battery's page.
Queensland saw 2 price events this period, the sharpest an extreme price event peaking at $19,728/MWh.
| Battery | Energy + FCAS | $/MW | $/MWh | Capture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarong BESS | $6.61M | $22k/MW | $11k/MWh | 60% |
| Western Downs Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) | $6.32M | $25k/MW | $12k/MWh | 57% |
| Brendale BESS | $5.82M | $28k/MW | $14k/MWh | 63% |
| Western Downs Battery Energy Storage System | $5.44M | $21k/MW | $14k/MWh | 61% |
| Supernode BESS | $5.21M | $20k/MW | $9,553/MWh | 52% |
| Greenbank BESS | $4.02M | $20k/MW | $10k/MWh | 51% |
| Ulinda Park BESS | $3.47M | $22k/MW | $12k/MWh | 56% |
| Swanbank BESS | $2.18M | $8,710/MW | $4,355/MWh | 57% |
| Supernode BESS | $1.67M | $6,422/MW | $1,532/MWh | 50% |
| Chinchilla BESS, Units 1-80 | $1.60M | $16k/MW | $8,022/MWh | 44% |
| Wandoan Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) | $1.59M | $16k/MW | $11k/MWh | 44% |
| Bouldercombe Battery Project | $1.03M | $21k/MW | $10k/MWh | 38% |
Capture = actual energy revenue as a share of the perfect-foresight LP benchmark; shown only for units with material modelled upside.
Third-party reporting on these units, matched automatically and linked for context. NEMPulse does not endorse or verify external coverage.
Keep reading: Previous period: H2 2025NEM-wide wrap — H1 2026Queensland battery fleetActual vs optimal dispatchMarket eventsHow capture is calculated
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Automatically generated from AEMO public data using fixed templates (not AI-written). Figures are estimated gross market revenue (energy + FCAS) from dispatch — they exclude contracts, hedges and network-support schemes (e.g. SIPS), so actual commercial revenue will differ.
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