How South Australia's grid-scale batteries performed in Q3 2026: energy and FCAS market revenue, $/MW, $/MWh, top performers, and price events.
South Australia (SA1) batteries earned $8.46M in estimated gross energy and FCAS market revenue so far in Q3 2026, from 14 grid-scale units tracked by NEMPulse. Figures cover Q3 2026 to date (through 30 Sep 2026).
Normalised across 1,131 MW and 1,868 MWh of registered capacity, the region earned $7,482/MW and $4,531/MWh for the period.
Total revenue was up 7% on the same days of Q2 2026, which returned $7.91M. Per MW per day — which strips out both fleet growth and the length of the window — earnings were up 6% at $81/MW/day. Optimal capture improved 3 points, from 31% to 35%.
Energy arbitrage supplied 89% of the total and FCAS 11%, with estimated Frequency Performance Payments contributing the remaining 0% ($80k). Within FCAS, regulation accounted for 37% and contingency 63%; the single largest market was raise 1-second at $274k.
For context on the trading conditions, the average daily price spread (top two hours minus bottom two hours) in South Australia was $157/MWh, down 43% on the previous period, and the highest spot price reached $16,971/MWh.
Against the perfect-foresight energy benchmark, South Australia batteries captured 35% of what hindsight would have earned, an estimated $13.12M of unrealised upside.
On capture of the perfect-foresight energy benchmark, the strongest performers were Templers Battery Energy Storage System (63%), Christies Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant (59%), Happy Valley Water Treatment Plant (58%). At the other end: Dalrymple North BESS (11%), Summerfield BESS 1 (-51%), Summerfield BESS 2 (-71%) — capture reflects strategy, contracting and constraints as much as skill, so a low figure is not automatically underperformance.
The strongest single day was 8 Jul 2026 at $1.14M, and the best single battery-day was Hornsdale Power Reserve on 8 Jul 2026 with $339k. Revenue stays concentrated: five of the period's 92 days delivered 24% of everything South Australia batteries earned.
Blyth Battery Energy Storage System led the region with $1.80M. Full dispatch, state-of-charge and bidding detail is available on each battery's page.
South Australia saw 38 price events this period, the sharpest an extreme price event peaking at $16,971/MWh.
| Battery | Energy + FCAS | $/MW | $/MWh | Capture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blyth Battery Energy Storage System | $1.80M | $8,990/MW | $4,495/MWh | 31% |
| Bungama Battery Energy Storage System | $1.69M | $11k/MW | $5,623/MWh | 42% |
| Mannum Battery Energy Storage System | $1.28M | $13k/MW | $6,411/MWh | 43% |
| Torrens Island BESS | $1.18M | $4,730/MW | $4,730/MWh | 26% |
| Clements Gap BESS | $927k | $15k/MW | $7,723/MWh | 52% |
| Hornsdale Power Reserve | $827k | $5,515/MW | $4,265/MWh | 25% |
| Lake Bonney BESS1 | $241k | $9,653/MW | $4,641/MWh | 36% |
| Tailem Bend 2 Hybrid Renewable Power Station | $228k | $5,571/MW | $5,571/MWh | 26% |
| Templers Battery Energy Storage System | $166k | $1,493/MW | $581/MWh | 63% |
| Adelaide Desalination Plant | $44k | $7,159/MW | $7,338/MWh | 41% |
| Happy Valley Water Treatment Plant | $42k | $10k/MW | $10k/MWh | 58% |
| Bolivar Waste Water Treatment Plant | $23k | $12k/MW | $12k/MWh | 57% |
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: Q2 2026NEM-wide wrap — Q3 2026South Australia battery fleetActual vs optimal dispatchMarket eventsHow capture is calculated
Explore: All insightsBattery fleetActual vs optimalPerformance rankingsMarket economicsMarket eventsBid stackBidding strategyVirtual power plantsProject simulatorAskPulseEmail alerts
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.
Loading live data…