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• How will the ESEM support long-term investments in renewable generation and storage?
• What advantages does ESEM offer over the existing Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS)?
• What incentives are proposed for energy storage participation in Essential System Services?
• How to accelerate zero-emission firming technologies deployment?
• What solutions address the “hidden participants” challenge in grid visibility?
• How will energy storage reshape NEM price formation?
• What strategies will address predicted reliability gaps in SA and NSW (2026-28)?

• Can Australia realistically deploy enough storage to deliver a secure, fully renewable grid?
• What scale of capital deployment and transmission buildout is required to meet 2030 targets?
• Which storage technologies will dominate Australia’s energy landscape: lithium, LDES, pumped hydro, or hybrid solutions?
• How must market design evolve to properly value flexibility and drive multi-GW investment pipelines?
• What are the critical trade-offs between deployment speed, cost efficiency, and system resilience?

The presentation will discuss the continued trend towards DC Coupled Hybrid projects in Australia. The key areas covered include:

• Market Landscape Overview
• Growing Demand for Generation Capacity
• Efficiency Economics: AC vs. DC in the 2026 NEM
• Key Benefits of DC-Coupled Hybrid Projects
• The Future of Grid Resilience: Integrating DC Coupling with Grid-Forming Capability

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• Enabling market investment
• Commercial innovation
• Evolution of the market and future investment priorities

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) technology is rapidly evolving, with grid-forming capabilities becoming increasingly important to provide system security in the Australian NEM as thermal assets retire, while also allowing for participation in energy arbitrage and capacity markets. Join Fluence in a fireside chat with AGL’s Principal Grid Engineer, Ghasem Jahedi Markid, where they will share real-world insights into the delivery of the Liddell grid-forming BESS, highlighting key learnings from the process and anticipated functionality to support Australia’s energy transition once operational.

As renewable energy penetration grows and grid code requirements evolve, scalable energy storage is rapidly becoming essential for resilient, high-value hybrid plants. Integrating high-density energy storage with a grid-forming Power Conversion System (PCS) delivers advanced voltage and frequency support, inertia emulation, and rapid grid response. Envision Energy’s technology has been demonstrated at the Chifeng Net Zero Industrial Park in Inner Mongolia, where a 100% off-grid renewable system powered by wind, solar, grid-forming battery storage, and AI-driven orchestration supports one of the world’s largest green hydrogen and ammonia facilities, showcasing real-world grid stability and operational optimisation at scale.

Leveraging Envision’s advanced grid-forming PCS, scalable energy storage platforms, and AI-empowered control logic, together with hybrid PPC integration, unlocks enhanced grid support, compliance with emerging grid code requirements, and new commercial opportunities.

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• Will the Capacity Investment Scheme accelerate storage deployment or crowd out private investment?
• Are current auction designs bankable for developers and financiers, or do they risk creating stranded bids and sunk costs?
• How are investors pricing merchant risk under CIS, and are revenue guarantees distorting valuations?
• What role should CIS play alongside other state incentives? Should it be the backbone of financing, or a temporary catalyst?
• If CIS were scaled or reshaped, what does that mean for long-term investor confidence and subsidy dependence in Australia’s energy market?

Join Modo Energy’s After Party!

Join us at the rooftop bar at The Bristol for fun, food, drinks and exclusive new merch at the official ESS Australia After Party hosted by Modo Energy!

There are limited spaces left, so make sure you book on today!

This panel will comprise representatives from Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria each delivering a keynote address that will cover:

• Insights about key programs, policies and regulations relevant to the energy storage sector
• The investment landscape for energy storage in these states

This session will conclude with a Q&A session for the audience.

As utility-scale storage evolves, Trina is leading the charge with its Elementa platform and next-generation AC-integrated BESS solutions. This session will highlight Trina’s progress in AC system validation—from thermal chamber and grid-forming tests to comprehensive PCS compatibility. Learn how Trina’s robust certification program and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) lab are enabling developers and utilities to pair Elementa with a broad range of PCS brands, offering flexibility, cost-efficiency, and compliance across diverse grid requirements.

• What does the next generation of energy storage consist of? Is Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) the answer?
• Future chemistries: sodium-ion, zinc-air, lithium-sulphur
• Solid-state and hybrid chemistries
• Flow batteries, gravity batteries, thermal, compressed air, hydrogen – where next, and other emerging alternative storage

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Amid Australia’s storage boom and challenges like grid bottlenecks and rising compliance costs, EVE Energy acts as an “enabler of delivery certainty”—transforming project blueprints into reliable returns.

• Breaking the Storage Deadlock: Beyond conventional equipment logic—decoding AEMO’s tough rules and the technical keys to compliance
• Redefining “Project Certainty”: A systematic approach to mastering lifecycle risks
• Tech in Action: How EVE Energy’s large-cell storage solutions deliver real-world value
• A Localised Commitment: More than product supply—a strategic partnership rooted in Australia, driving growth together

As the energy storage sector continues to grow, managing risk in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) has become increasingly complex, requiring a holistic approach across commercial, operational, and lifecycle considerations. This session will explore strategies to optimise reliability, scalability, and economic viability while addressing evolving market demands.

Key discussion points will include the roles of warranty structures and performance guarantees in addressing degradation and long-term reliability, as well as scaling operations to support larger portfolios and diverse fleets. Potential economically viable pathways for battery recycling and circular economy initiatives. Discussing how contracting and delivery methods influence project risk, the importance of advanced monitoring solutions to minimise performance risks over time, and the value of regular testing to ensure performance aligns with guarantees. Workforce development and the shortage of trained specialists will also be addressed, along with proactive risk management strategies across the lifecycle of BESS projects.

• How can energy storage mitigate curtailment caused by minimum system loads and network constraints?
• Strategies to address the economic impacts of negative pricing in the NEM
• Co-location with solar PV, wind and data centres
• How do advanced bidding tools and self-forecasting improve market participation for renewable and storage assets?
• What role does social licensing play in overcoming community resistance to new energy projects?
• How can government frameworks and incentives support grid upgrades and reduce curtailment?
• What operational strategies can optimise storage and renewable integration in constrained regions?

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This session will examine the vital role of First Nations communities, social licensing, and community engagement in advancing energy storage projects across Australia. Beginning with a 20-minute panel discussion welcoming Lani Johns, Louie Trajkoski, Ganesh Karki and Jess Padman to the stage. Participants will then engage in 20 minutes of interactive roundtable discussions to address key challenges and opportunities in community engagement. Concluding with a 5-minute summary from each table. This session will provide attendees with practical insights, real-world examples, and collaborative strategies to ensure energy storage projects are not only technically successful but also socially inclusive and community-driven.

• What innovative approaches are being developed to ensure equitable distribution of benefits to local communities?
• Using renewable projects to reduce diesel reliance: How can energy storage projects improve energy security and strengthen climate resilience in remote communities?
• What policy changes are needed to genuinely empower First Nations leadership in the clean energy transition?
• How can we evaluate community benefits beyond the initial deployment of energy storage projects?
• What strategies can enhance local acceptance and reduce project risks?
• How can visual impact, land use changes, and environmental concerns be addressed effectively?
• How can technology be leveraged to broaden participation and ensure transparency in community engagement?

ROUNDTABLE ONE | Beyond Tokenism: Creating Genuine Partnerships with Traditional Owners in Renewable Development

ROUNDTABLE TWO | From Consultation to Partnership: Community Engagement Models that Deliver Lasting Shared Value

CentrePort Wellington is deploying a 1.5MWh/750kW battery system to enable port electrification while avoiding costly infrastructure upgrades. The presentation explores CentrePort’s journey in integrating BESS with flexible site assets—such as EV chargers, reefer loads, and solar arrays—to unlock stacked value across demand response, energy arbitrage, reserves, and power factor correction. Supported by Ara Ake’s economic modelling, this commercially viable solution has secured board approval for 2025 installation, establishing a blueprint for customer-led energy flexibility in industrial settings.

• What battery storage technologies are proving most successful in off-grid applications, and how could these be scaled for NEM integration?
• How are developers overcoming the technical challenges of integrating multiple DERs in isolated grid environments?
• What innovative financing models are emerging for off-grid projects that could transform investment in the NEM?
• How are supply chain constraints affecting project economics differently in WEM versus NEM markets?
• What regulatory reforms would enable the NEM to better capture value from distributed off-grid innovations?