BESS · Birdwood Energy Reserve Pty Ltd (ACN 658 507 441) as Trustee for Birdwood Energy Reserve Trust · Storage - Battery
07 Jun 2026 00:20 → 14 Jun 2026 00:20 AEST
| Capex total (greenfield) |
$750.00M
Shown in table How this was derived Reference |
|---|---|
| Capex refurbishment |
—
|
| Capex / MWh storage derived |
$416,667
Shown in table How this was derived Reference |
| Fixed OPEX (annual) |
$5.12M
Shown in table How this was derived Reference |
| Fixed OPEX / MW-yr |
$12,800
Shown in table How this was derived Reference |
| Variable OPEX / MWh |
$0.00
Shown in table How this was derived Reference |
| Fuel cost / GJ |
—
How this was derived Reference |
| Heat rate GJ/MWh |
—
How this was derived Reference |
Confidence: medium · Status: ai estimated · Capex basis: estimated · AI checked 04 Jun 2026
Notes
Official project sources consistently describe the project as a 400 MW / 1,800 MWh BESS; the user-provided DUID capacity is 544.36 MW / 1,800 MWh. Capex_total_aud is the midpoint estimate of the official AIP Authority reported capex range of AUD 500 million to AUD 1 billion; it is not an exact reported contract value. Capex_per_mw_aud is calculated against the official 400 MW nameplate in AIP/planning/owner sources, not the 544.36 MW DUID capacity. Fixed O&M is a technology-default estimate based on AEMO/Aurecon 2024 lithium-ion BESS assumptions interpolated to 4.5 hours duration and includes indicative 20-year LFP extended warranty allowance: fixed O&M AUD 14,012.5/MW-year plus warranty AUD 9,200/MW-year = AUD 23,212.5/MW-year, multiplied by 400 MW. Variable O&M is set to AUD 0/MWh as a modelling default because Aurecon reports BESS LTSA/O&M is not typically structured on a variable basis. Efficiency is beginning-of-life round-trip efficiency at point of connection for 4-8 hour lithium-ion BESS, not a thermal efficiency. Direct operational emissions are set to zero because the asset is a battery with no onsite combustion; lifecycle and grid-charging emissions are excluded. Owner material states a flexible 30+ year asset life, while AEMO/Aurecon technical defaults indicate 20-year lithium-ion BESS design/technical life with possible extension to about 25 years after condition assessment and further extension through battery upgrades; this likely implies major augmentation/replacement over the long asset life. No closure date was found in public sources.
Capex is estimated as the midpoint of the Australian Industry Participation Plan reported range of A$500 million to A$1 billion, in nominal 2025 dollars. This is not a reported final EPC/FID price. Capex per MW uses the official project nameplate scope of 400 MW/1,800 MWh from Birdwood/AIP sources, not the 544.36 MW DUID capacity supplied in the prompt or shown in some NEM data aggregators. Fixed O&M and variable O&M are technology-default estimates from AEMO/Aurecon 2024 cost assumptions for a 4-hour large-scale lithium-ion BESS; Baranduda is approximately 4.5 hours, so the 4-hour value is used as the nearest public benchmark. Variable O&M is set to 0 because Aurecon reports BESS long-term service agreements are not typically fixed/variable split and shows dash/none for variable O&M. Efficiency is an AEMO/Aurecon default for 4-hour/8-hour Li-ion BESS at beginning of life, not a Baranduda guarantee. Direct operational emissions intensity is treated as zero for the battery discharge asset; lifecycle and charging-electricity emissions are not included. Owner material states a flexible 30+ year life, while AEMO/Aurecon default Li-ion BESS economic/design life is 20 years with potential extension to about 25 years and further battery upgrades thereafter; this implies future augmentation/refurbishment risk if a 30+ year project life is pursued. Public sources found no closure date and no major refurbishment commitment specific to Baranduda.