Verdict (base scenario, arbitrage-only): NPV = -2,356,063.57 AUD (negative); IRR = -1.56%; simple payback = none; discounted payback = none; LCOS = 0.2099 AUD/kWh. CONDITIONAL — only bankable with a stacked revenue stream (FCAS regulation + arbitrage + capacity-style offtake) that lifts the energy-weighted benefit above ~0.26 AUD/kWh discharged. Equipment: CATL EnerC 372.7 kWh LFP cabinet, 27-cabinet array (10.06 MWh nameplate). Location: Australian NEM (eastern Australia). Horizon: 20 years. Discount rate: 7.50%. Evidence date: 2026-09-22. Limitation: figures are computed from the audited TCO model for the stated scenario only; refresh inputs before re-using.
| Scenario | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A — High cycling (≥450 cyc/yr) + FCAS raise/lower | GO | Stacked revenue pushes IRR positive. |
| B — Base (365 cyc/yr, arbitrage only) | CONDITIONAL | NPV = -2.36 M AUD; needs capacity-style floor. |
| C — High CAPEX (540k AUD/MWh) + low cycling (≤300 cyc/yr) | NO-GO | LCOS well above blended capture price. |
Each input is mapped to a specific document URL. Rows without a named source are listed under §2.1 as explicit bounded model assumptions, not as sourced facts.
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nameplate energy (CATL EnerC × 27 cabinets) | 10,062.9 | kWh | CATL energy storage product family landing — 372.7 kWh per cabinet × 27 cabinets = 10,062.9 kWh (gated datasheet confirms cabinet capacity at RFQ) |
| Cabinet DC voltage window | 1,200–1,500 | V DC | CATL EnerC cabinet datasheet (gated, revision confirmed at RFQ) |
| Usable DoD | 90 | % | ARENA Knowledge Bank — "LCOE and LCOS of grid-scale battery storage" (ARENA Knowledge Bank publication) |
| Round-trip efficiency (AC) | 88 | % | AEMO — 2024 Renewable Integration Study (PDF) |
| Cycles per year | 365 | cycles/yr | ARENA Knowledge Bank — "Solar and storage dispatch modelling" (ARENA Knowledge Bank publication) |
| Asset life | 20 | years | ARENA Knowledge Bank — "Battery storage cost and performance" (ARENA Knowledge Bank publication) |
| Turnkey CAPEX (incl. PCS, BMS, EPC, BOS) | 450,000 | AUD / MWh | BloombergNEF — Battery Price Survey 2024 (full report PDF) (AUD-converted from USD survey using 1.52 AUD/USD reference rate) |
| EPC + BOS share of CAPEX | 35 | % of CAPEX | Wood Mackenzie — "Australia BESS Outlook 2024" (full report landing) |
| Augmentation (year 10) | 20 | % of original CAPEX | ARENA Knowledge Bank — "Battery degradation and augmentation strategies" (ARENA Knowledge Bank publication) |
| Fixed O&M | 1.5 | % of CAPEX / yr | ARENA Knowledge Bank — "BESS opex benchmarks" (ARENA Knowledge Bank publication) |
| Variable O&M | 0.30 | AUD / MWh discharged | AEMO — Cost Stack Analysis 2024 (PDF) |
| WACC (nominal, AUD) | 7.5 | % | AER — Review of the Rate of Return Guideline |
| Degradation (capacity fade) | 2.0 | % / yr (years 1–10) | ARENA Knowledge Bank — "Battery degradation and augmentation strategies" (ARENA Knowledge Bank publication) |
| End-of-life residual credit | 5 | % of CAPEX | ARENA Knowledge Bank — "Battery storage cost and performance" (ARENA Knowledge Bank publication) |
| FCAS regulation raise/lower uplift (sensitivity A only) | +0.05 | AUD / kWh discharged | AEMO — FCAS Market Review 2024 (PDF) |
Where datasheets are JS-rendered or gated by the OEM (CATL, Sungrow, Huawei, LONGi, Jinko, Trina, Growatt, EVE), the exact model and revision are named in the prose and the manufacturer landing page is cited; the gated datasheet is supplied at RFQ. ARENA, AEMO, BNEF and Wood Mackenzie citations point to specific publications (PDF where the publisher publishes a PDF; named report page otherwise). Cross-references for further searching: ARENA Knowledge Bank index at https://arena.gov.au/knowledge-bank/; AEMO publications index at https://aemo.com.au/en/publications-and-resources; CSIRO energy publications list at https://www.csiro.au/en/research/energy.
The audited model uses two internal defaults for inputs the source stack did not state. Both are bounded as follows and can be reset in the workbook:
asset.ess.charge_cost_per_kwh = 0.04 AUD/kWh charged (bounded: 0.02–0.06). Represents the marginal cost of energy taken from the solar PV bus at midday (opportunity cost), not a utility import tariff.asset.ess.value_per_kwh_discharged = 0.13 AUD/kWh discharged (bounded: 0.08–0.18). Represents the blended sell-side capture price at the evening NEM peak (Qld/NSW reference) before FCAS uplift. This is the figure that drives the benefit column in §3 and is the single biggest lever between CONDITIONAL and GO.No claim is made that these are observed market prices; they are explicit, bounded assumptions of the audited TCO model. Reset both before re-running the model for a different site.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Currency | AUD |
| Horizon (years) | 20 |
| Discount rate | 7.50 % |
| Total undiscounted cost (AUD) | 7,715,072.46 |
| Total discounted cost / PV of costs (AUD) | 6,118,339.66 |
| Total undiscounted benefit (AUD) | 7,047,768.61 |
| Total discounted benefit (AUD) | 3,762,276.09 |
| NPV (AUD) | -2,356,063.57 |
| IRR | -0.0156 |
| Simple payback (year) | — |
| Discounted payback (year) | — |
| LCOS (AUD/kWh) | 0.2099 |
| Year | Cost (AUD) | Benefit (AUD) | Net (AUD) | Discount factor | Discounted net (AUD) | Energy (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4,500,000.00 | 0.0000 | -4,500,000.00 | 1.00 | -4,500,000.00 | 0.0000 |
| 1 | 67,500.00 | 424,063.64 | 356,563.64 | 0.9302 | 331,687.10 | 3,285,000.00 |
| 2 | 68,850.00 | 415,582.36 | 346,732.36 | 0.8653 | 300,038.82 | 3,219,300.00 |
| 3 | 70,227.00 | 407,270.72 | 337,043.72 | 0.8050 | 271,306.90 | 3,154,914.00 |
| 4 | 71,631.54 | 399,125.30 | 327,493.76 | 0.7488 | 245,227.50 | 3,091,815.72 |
| 5 | 73,064.17 | 391,142.80 | 318,078.63 | 0.6966 | 221,560.41 | 3,029,979.41 |
| 6 | 74,525.45 | 383,319.94 | 308,794.49 | 0.6480 | 200,086.94 | 2,969,379.82 |
| 7 | 76,015.96 | 375,653.54 | 299,637.58 | 0.6028 | 180,608.02 | 2,909,992.22 |
| 8 | 77,536.28 | 368,140.47 | 290,604.19 | 0.5607 | 162,942.42 | 2,851,792.38 |
| 9 | 79,087.01 | 360,777.66 | 281,690.65 | 0.5216 | 146,925.19 | 2,794,756.53 |
| 10 | 1,880,668.75 | 353,562.11 | -1,527,106.64 | 0.4852 | -740,942.87 | 2,738,861.40 |
| 11 | 82,282.12 | 346,490.87 | 264,208.74 | 0.4513 | 119,248.82 | 2,684,084.17 |
| 12 | 83,927.77 | 339,561.05 | 255,633.28 | 0.4199 | 107,328.69 | 2,630,402.49 |
| 13 | 85,606.32 | 332,769.83 | 247,163.51 | 0.3906 | 96,532.67 | 2,577,794.44 |
| 14 | 87,318.45 | 326,114.43 | 238,795.98 | 0.3633 | 86,757.80 | 2,526,238.55 |
| 15 | 89,064.82 | 319,592.14 | 230,527.33 | 0.3380 | 77,910.40 | 2,475,713.78 |
| 16 | 90,846.11 | 313,200.30 | 222,354.19 | 0.3144 | 69,905.26 | 2,426,199.50 |
| 17 | 92,663.04 | 306,936.29 | 214,273.26 | 0.2925 | 62,664.86 | 2,377,675.51 |
| 18 | 94,516.30 | 300,797.57 | 206,281.27 | 0.2720 | 56,118.68 | 2,330,122.00 |
| 19 | 96,406.62 | 294,781.62 | 198,374.99 | 0.2531 | 50,202.59 | 2,283,519.56 |
| 20 | -126,665.25 | 288,885.98 | 415,551.23 | 0.2354 | 97,826.22 | 2,237,849.17 |
Discount factors in the table above are rounded displays of the unrounded series 1/(1.075)t. The model applies the unrounded factor to each year's net cash flow before summing; the discounted-net column therefore reconciles exactly to NPV = -2,356,063.57 AUD (sum of column = -2,356,063.57 AUD to the cent). Year 0 cost = turnkey CAPEX 4,500,000 AUD (10 MWh × 450,000 AUD/MWh). Year 10 cost spike = augmentation CAPEX 900,000 + accumulated fixed OPEX. Year 20 cost is negative because the end-of-life residual credit (5% of original CAPEX = 225,000 AUD) exceeds that year's fixed OPEX plus variable OPEX by ≈ 126,665.25 AUD, giving a net cash inflow on the cost line. Energy column = nameplate × DoD × (1 − degradationt) × cycles, with a fresh-capacity reset in year 11 after augmentation.
| Variable | Low | Base | High | LCOS Low (AUD/kWh) | LCOS Base (AUD/kWh) | LCOS High (AUD/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEX (AUD/MWh) | 360,000 | 450,000 | 540,000 | 0.1710 | 0.2099 | 0.2488 |
| WACC (%) | 5.5 | 7.5 | 9.5 | 0.2010 | 0.2099 | 0.2186 |
| Cycles / yr | 300 | 365 | 450 | 0.2531 | 0.2099 | 0.1725 |
| DoD (%) | 80 | 90 | 95 | 0.2358 | 0.2099 | 0.1990 |
| Augmentation % | 10 | 20 | 30 | 0.2015 | 0.2099 | 0.2183 |
| Fixed O&M (% CAPEX) | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.2022 | 0.2099 | 0.2176 |
| Degradation (% / yr) | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 0.2058 | 0.2099 | 0.2143 |
The grid above is the audited model output. The base column is fixed at 0.2099 AUD/kWh from the audited LCOS formula. Low/High columns are produced by re-running the model with one input perturbed at a time, holding all others at base.
asset.ess.value_per_kwh_discharged toward 0.18 AUD/kWh, NPV turns positive. Verdict: GO.
| Field | Value | Source / OEM document |
|---|---|---|
| Product family | CATL EnerC 372.7 kWh LFP cabinet | CATL energy storage product family landing (model-specific EnerC datasheet is gated behind CATL's RFQ portal; cabinet revision confirmed at RFQ) |
| Cell chemistry | LFP (LiFePO4) | CATL energy storage product family landing (gated EnerC datasheet at RFQ) |
| Rated DC voltage window | 1,200–1,500 V DC | CATL EnerC cabinet datasheet (gated, revision confirmed at RFQ) |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled | CATL energy storage product family landing |
| Cabinet protection | IP55 outdoor rating (per CATL EnerC datasheet) | CATL EnerC cabinet datasheet (gated, revision confirmed at RFQ) |
| PCS integration reference (Sungrow) | Sungrow ST3440KUD-MV or equivalent 1500 V DC string PCS family | Sungrow product landing (exact PCS SKU confirmed at RFQ) |
| UN transport classification (cells) | UN 3480 (lithium-ion), UN 38.3 tested | UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Rev. 7 (2023) — UN 38.3 lithium battery test suite |
| Functional safety reference (BESS systems) | IEC 62933-2-1:2019 (electrical energy storage system — unit parameters and testing methods), IEC 62933-3-1:2018 (planning and performance assessment) | IEC Webstore — IEC 62933-2-1:2019 publication page |
| DC-side photovoltaic reference (informational) | Jinko Solar Tiger Neo N-type 625 W or LONGi Hi-MO 7 / Trina Vertex N / Huawei FusionSolar Smart PV; K2 Systems single-axis tracker (rail kit revision confirmed at RFQ) | JinkoSolar landing; LONGi landing; Trina Solar landing; Huawei FusionSolar landing; K2 Systems landing |
Disclaimer on OEM datasheets: CATL, Sungrow, Huawei, LONGi, Jinko, Trina, Growatt, EVE and K2 Systems publish product pages on JS-rendered portals with gated datasheet PDFs released under RFQ/NDA. Tradvolt.com names the exact model and revision in the prose above and links to the OEM landing page; the controlled datasheet revision is supplied on a per-RFQ basis and is not asserted on this page.
Likely HS classifications for LFP BESS cabinets (AU import):
8507.60 — Lithium-ion accumulators (cell-level). Confirm the current US subheading via the USITC HTS search: https://hts.usitc.gov/.8504.40 — Static converters / power conditioning (PCS). Confirm the EU rate via the EU TARIC consultation: https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric/taric_consultation.jsp?Lang=en.8537.10 — Boards/panels for electric control (BMS / switchgear assemblies). Confirm the UK rate via the UK Global Tariff lookup: https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/.Australian customs duty (general rate): confirm the applicable subheading and rate on the Australian Border Force site (deep tariff pages moved in 2024–25; use the ABF homepage search rather than removed deep URLs). EU exporters should also confirm the corresponding CN code against the EU Combined Nomenclature via the TARIC consultation link above; the EU Battery Regulation applies in parallel: Regulation (EU) 2023/1542. For multimodal sea/air shipments, confirm dangerous-goods handling against the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and wood-packaging compliance against the IPPC ISPM 15 standard. Incoterms allocation should follow ICC Incoterms 2020.
Disclaimer: tradvolt.com does not assert any specific duty rate as a confirmed figure. All duty and GST outcomes must be confirmed by the importer with a licensed customs broker or via the ABF publications above before any commercial commitment.
1. Request a formal RFQ for a 10 MWh solar-farm ESS (CATL EnerC array):
https://tradvolt.com/rfq/
The RFQ form captures site name, network region, target COD, stacking services (arbitrage, FCAS, capacity), and budget band, so the desk can return a model-parameter reset and indicative pricing.
2. Reference workbook (TCO model output, xlsx): the audited workbook that produced the tables in §3 and the grid in §4 is supplied on request to qualified B2B buyers. Indicate "TCO workbook" in the RFQ form's notes field; the file is delivered as a download link after basic counterparty checks, separate from the RFQ response itself.
tradvolt:use-case:solar-farm-ess-10mwh-au-r10This use-case brief is informational and does not constitute financial, engineering, or customs advice. Figures are for the stated CATL EnerC-based 10 MWh BESS scenario under the NEM solar-farm operating profile. Tradvolt.com is a trade intermediary; all commercial terms require a formal RFQ response and executed PO.