Australia Awards 11.4GWh of Solar-Plus-Storage in CIS Tender 4

The numbers out of Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) Tender 4 mark a turning point. The Commonwealth confirmed 20 successful projects adding 6.6 GW of new renewable generation, anchored by about 11.4 GWh of grid-scale battery storage. That storage is large enough to materially shift evening peaks across multiple regions, signalling a system that prizes dispatchable clean energy rather than daytime output alone.

Trade coverage on announcement day highlighted a strong hybrid profile—pairings of utility-scale solar with multi-hour batteries. Technically, that reshapes the bid room. Evaluation is moving beyond EPC price and schedule to test performance guarantees (cycling, availability, response), EMS/SCADA control strategy, FCAS participation, and grid-connection evidence that will survive AEMO/NSP review. In other words, the value sits in orchestration and integration, not just components.

The round was oversubscribed, reinforcing CIS as the financeable pathway for large projects. With revenue floors (and often upside-sharing), developers can sequence approvals, financial close and procurement on predictable timetables instead of waiting on merchant prices. That predictability cascades to suppliers: clearer packages, tighter interfaces between EPCs, BESS integrators and operators, and commissioning plans tied to realistic milestones.

Zooming out, Tender 4 doesn’t start the battery trend—it scales it. Throughout 2025, multiple large systems advanced, but CIS brings a programmatic cadence that the market can plan around. Expect more RFTs and subcontracts that explicitly call for:

• evidence of controller tuning and protection settings;
• agreed augmentation plans and degradation modelling over life;
• documented handover processes so operational control and warranty obligations are unambiguous.

Why this matters to government tendering

• Firming is priced in. Whole-of-life value is judged on reliability in peak hours as much as raw generation cost.
• Evidence beats claims. Short, auditable artefacts—grid studies, EMS architectures, commissioning scripts—carry marks.
• Risk clarity wins. Clear positions on warranties, augmentation and grid-services responsibilities reduce evaluator uncertainty.