Wärtsilä delivers 150MW flexibility boost in South Australia
Enlit Editorial Team
Posted on: 2 July 2026
The Bungama battery energy storage system has reached commercial operation and will help maintain energy stability and grid reliability.
Technology group Wärtsilä has announced that the Bungama energy storage system in South Australia has started commercial operation.
The 150MW/300MWh battery energy storage system is owned and operated by Revera Energy and will aid the region in incorporating more renewable energy while simultaneously supporting grid reliability.
According to Wärtsilä, South Australia regularly operates with some of the world’s highest levels of variable renewable generation, making advanced storage infrastructure essential to maintaining energy stability and reliability.
The first stage of the Bungama energy storage system processed through the commissioning testing phase, completing each of the three Hold Point Tests in quick succession.
Hold Point Tests are Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) mandated commissioning approvals that allow new energy assets to move in stages from limited operation to full commercial output.
News from Australia: Australian wind project scales back for hybrid plan
Completing these tests enabled the project to progress from commissioning to full commercial operation under AEMO requirements.
Don Lee, vice-president of global operations at Wärtsilä Energy Storage, said: "Delivering the first stage of the Bungama energy storage system in one of the world’s most dynamic renewable markets demonstrates what advanced technology and deep system collaboration can achieve." says.
Lee added: "This project shows how storage can be deployed at pace to support regions operating at the frontier of the energy transition, helping to stabilise the grid and ensure more secure, reliable energy for local communities."
At the core of the project is Wärtsilä Energy Storage’s GridSolve Quantum High Energy technology, which features advanced safety architecture and a high energy-density design.
Have you read?
EU unveils first-of-its-kind energy storage roadmap
DNV forecasts fiftyfold energy storage surge by mid-2030s
The grid-connected site is orchestrated by Wärtsilä's GEMS platform, which fine-tunes operations in real time and provides rapid frequency response with millisecond-level accuracy.
This combination of Wärtsilä's hardware and software technology enables the facility to capture excess renewable energy and enhance grid flexibility and stability by supporting essential grid services, including frequency control ancillary services, fast frequency response, and energy arbitrage.
The project will be supported by a long-term service agreement from Wärtsilä to ensure performance throughout the lifecycle of the installation.
Wärtsilä worked closely with AEMO, transmission network service provider ElectraNet, and Balance of Plant contractor Enerven to ensure transport, engineering, and a streamlined commissioning process within one of the world’s most demanding grid environments.
Wärtsilä’s energy storage portfolio now exceeds 6GWh in Australia.
