Battery tech roundup: Five developments in key BESS markets

This week has seen announcements coming from five key players in the global BESS market - Iberdrola, Fluence Energy, R.Power, Wärtsilä, and BW ESS - each looking to strengthen their positions and offerings in the battery segment.

Iberdrola purchased the Tungkillo battery storage project in South Australia; Fluence Energy partnered on a 160MW/640MWh BESS in the US; R.Power has secured 20-year support for 115MW of hybrid solar and battery projects in Germany; Wärtsilä launched its GEMS Pulse software to unlock insights; and BW ESS added two industry veterans to their executive board.

Iberdrola in Australia

Iberdrola has acquired the Tungkillo battery storage project, located in South Australia, from the RES Australia group for €275 million ($322 million).

Expected to start operating in 2028, the 270MW/1,080MWh project has all the key approvals and very advanced connection rights, says Iberdrola, in addition to the land already secured.

The project joins two additional battery initiatives from Iberdrola Australia that add up to a capacity of 250MW.

Australia’s energy system requires a significant increase in battery storage capacity to integrate renewable energy sources and bring flexibility to the system. The location of the Tungkillo project, in the south of the country, is optimal for providing this service, says Iberdrola.

According to the Australian Energy Market Operator in July, the country’s National Electricity Market (NEM) has been seeing a surge in grid-scale batteries coming online. 

Said AEMO Executive General Manager System Design Merryn York: “We’re seeing more hybrid projects, typically solar and grid-scale batteries, and standalone batteries with grid-forming inverters.

“Opportunities exist in all NEM regions for renewable and firming projects to deliver energy, capacity, and network support services.”
Iberdrola has plans to invest €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the country until 2028.

For Iberdrola Australia, the storage systems provide backup capacity for its portfolio of energy sales contracts to customers.

Fluence Energy in the US

Intelligent energy storage systems developer and Torch Clean Energy, a privately-held independent power producer focused on developing power facilities in the US, have announced the Winchester project.

The project, a solar-plus-storage facility being developed by Torch Clean Energy in Cochise County, Arizona, will use Fluence’s advanced Gridstack Pro 5000 energy storage solution.

The project is expected to be delivered in early 2027 and will be located alongside two 80MW solar arrays. The project will deliver a total of 160MW/640MWh of energy storage capacity across two identical systems.

Once operational, the project will support grid balancing and forecasted load growth for the region as well as support economic development and local infrastructure investment for the country.

The Gridstack Pro 5000 solution will include domestically manufactured enclosures, inverters, and thermal management systems to enable the full solar-plus-storage facility to qualify for domestic content tax credits, while supporting US manufacturing and American energy security.

Fluence has more than 22GWh of battery energy storage capacity deployed or contracted across over 90 projects in the US.

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R.Power in Germany

Over in Germany, Poland-based independent renewable energy producer R.Power secured 115.5MW in the EEG Innovation Auction for Hybrid PV + BESS Projects through two of its subsidiaries.

The auction was conducted by Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), securing 20-year support for the projects, which R.Power says marks a significant step in their expansion into Germany’s renewable energy market.

The EEG support mechanism ensures that each awarded project receives compensation equal to the difference between its auction bid price and the average monthly spot market electricity price. This framework guarantees a stable minimum revenue level over the 20-year support period.

Said Przemek Pięta, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of R.Power S.A: “Winning Germany’s EEG Innovation Auction confirms the competitiveness and maturity of our hybrid PV + BESS model.

“This success strengthens our footprint in one of Europe’s most advanced renewable markets and reflects our long-term vision of integrating solar generation with storage as a foundation of the future power system.”

R.Power is developing a portfolio of over 30GW PV, BESS, and wind energy projects across Romania, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Germany.

EPC and O&M services are delivered by R.Power’s subsidiary, NOMAD Electric. In addition, through its subsidiary Quanta Energy, R.Power provides comprehensive renewable energy solutions for industrial clients, businesses, and institutions.

Wärtsilä’s GEMS Pulse

Finland-based tech group Wärtsilä has launched GEMS Pulse, a predictive analytics solution designed to increase the financial and performance output of energy storage facilities. 

According to the company in a release, batteries generate thousands of data points every second, yet operators often struggle to access and leverage this flood of information. 

GEMS Pulse aims to transform complex and largely inaccessible battery and operational data into actionable insights, enabling energy storage asset owners to make smarter asset usage decisions throughout the lifecycle of the system.

The software uses a tech stack that integrates insights from millions of operating batteries and billions of hours of performance data across Wärtsilä’s global energy storage fleet. The tech is also already in use by Wärtsilä’s own energy performance services team. To date, it has optimised over 9GWh of battery capacity within Wärtsilä’s portfolio.

According to the company, the value of battery systems is maximised when operated with precision; even small inaccuracies can have a big impact. The company says a 5% state-of-charge (SoC) error could result in annual revenue loss of approximately $10,000 per MW. For a 100MW /2-hour energy storage system, that translates to up to $20 million of revenue loss over the project’s lifetime.

Additionally, says Wärtsilä, many energy storage asset owners leave a significant portion of total capacity unused—often up to as much as 20%—as a buffer against uncertainty in cell health and available energy metrics.

GEMS Pulse aims to help reclaim that margin by providing measurements of available energy, cell imbalance, and degradation.  

GEMS Pulse also enhances operational flexibility by equipping operators with real-time data to simulate dispatch strategies and evaluate outcomes before deployment.

Combined with flexible performance guarantees, says Wärtsilä, operators can optimise battery usage for their strategic goals—with intelligence around constraints like cycles per day, depth of discharge, CP rating (continuous power rating), and operating temperature.

BW ESS adds veterans to executive board

Switzerland-based BW ESS, a global developer of large-scale energy storage systems, has appointed two European energy infrastructure leaders to its Board of

Directors as it continues to deliver a pipeline of utility-scale BESS projects across six global markets, namely Italy and Germany.

BW ESS has surpassed the milestone of 1GWh of contracted revenues in the Italian market, with a 14-project pipeline of 2.8GW under development, spanning the north and south of the country.

In Germany, BW ESS has a total pipeline of 2.4GW in various phases of development covering the north and south of Germany. BW ESS expects to begin delivering its first BESS project in Germany during the first half of 2026.  

Said Erik Strømsø, CEO of BW ESS: “Stefano and Georg bring significant energy infrastructure experience to our Board.

“Their combined expertise will add strategic depth to BW ESS as we advance our mission of unlocking sustainable energy storage systems across Europe and beyond. Italy and Germany have become core markets for BW ESS, where our goal is to provide enhanced grid resilience and lower energy costs for consumers.”

“Global BESS is reaching a watershed moment as the asset class is establishing itself as an integral part of our modern energy systems.”

Stefano and Georg join existing board members Andreas Sohmen-Pao (Chairman) and Christian Clausen in providing strategic direction to the executive team.