How South Australia's grid-scale batteries performed in August 2026: energy and FCAS market revenue, $/MW, $/MWh, top performers, and price events.
South Australia (SA1) batteries earned $2.38M in estimated gross energy and FCAS market revenue in August 2026, from 13 grid-scale units tracked by NEMPulse. Figures cover the full period.
Normalised across 1,020 MW and 1,583 MWh of registered capacity, the region earned $2,332/MW and $1,503/MWh for the period.
Total revenue was down 5% on July 2026, which returned $2.50M. Per MW per day — which strips out both fleet growth and the length of the window — earnings were up 5% at $75/MW/day. Optimal capture improved 12 points, from 22% to 34%.
Energy arbitrage supplied 90% of the total and FCAS 8%, with estimated Frequency Performance Payments contributing the remaining 2% ($31k). Within FCAS, regulation accounted for 64% and contingency 36%; the single largest market was raise regulation at $72k.
For context on the trading conditions, the average daily price spread (top two hours minus bottom two hours) in South Australia was $130/MWh, down 35% on the previous period, and the highest spot price reached $376/MWh.
Against the perfect-foresight energy benchmark, South Australia batteries captured 34% of what hindsight would have earned, an estimated $3.90M of unrealised upside.
On capture of the perfect-foresight energy benchmark, the strongest performers were Clements Gap BESS (54%), Bungama Battery Energy Storage System (47%), Happy Valley Water Treatment Plant (44%). At the other end: Hornsdale Power Reserve (19%), Tailem Bend 2 Hybrid Renewable Power Station (14%), Dalrymple North BESS (11%) — capture reflects strategy, contracting and constraints as much as skill, so a low figure is not automatically underperformance.
The strongest single day was 7 Aug 2026 at $177k, and the best single battery-day was Blyth Battery Energy Storage System on 7 Aug 2026 with $52k. Revenue stays concentrated: five of the period's 31 days delivered 34% of everything South Australia batteries earned.
Bungama Battery Energy Storage System led the region with $586k. Full dispatch, state-of-charge and bidding detail is available on each battery's page.
South Australia saw one price event this period, negative pricing peaking at $-497/MWh.
| Battery | Energy + FCAS | $/MW | $/MWh | Capture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bungama Battery Energy Storage System | $586k | $3,907/MW | $1,953/MWh | 47% |
| Blyth Battery Energy Storage System | $466k | $2,329/MW | $1,164/MWh | 26% |
| Mannum Battery Energy Storage System | $352k | $3,517/MW | $1,758/MWh | 39% |
| Torrens Island BESS | $349k | $1,396/MW | $1,396/MWh | 30% |
| Clements Gap BESS | $306k | $5,097/MW | $2,548/MWh | 54% |
| Hornsdale Power Reserve | $168k | $1,119/MW | $865/MWh | 19% |
| Lake Bonney BESS1 | $71k | $2,849/MW | $1,370/MWh | 35% |
| Tailem Bend 2 Hybrid Renewable Power Station | $47k | $1,141/MW | $1,141/MWh | 14% |
| Adelaide Desalination Plant | $12k | $1,876/MW | $1,922/MWh | 35% |
| Happy Valley Water Treatment Plant | $9k | $2,316/MW | $2,316/MWh | 44% |
| Dalrymple North BESS | $6k | $195/MW | $480/MWh | 11% |
| Christies Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant | $5k | $2,337/MW | $2,500/MWh | — |
Capture = actual energy revenue as a share of the perfect-foresight LP benchmark; shown only for units with material modelled upside.
Keep reading: Previous period: July 2026NEM-wide wrap — August 2026South Australia 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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