Verdict (15-year horizon, AUD, 7.00 % real discount rate, evidence date 2026-09-22): The scenario model returns NPV = -10,422,026 AUD, with no simple payback and no discounted payback; LCOS = 0.6227 AUD/kWh over 15 years. Equipment: CATL EnerC Plus 306/1500 V liquid-cooled LFP cabinet + Sungrow SC2752UX liquid-cooled container PCS paired with an MV step-up (2.75 MW class skid) + EVE Energy LF280K prismatic LFP cells (datasheet revision V2.3, 2024-03). Location: Australia, NEM (NSW — Hunter or Illawarra HV bus). The pure-financial case does not close on the base scenario. Limitation: all figures below are the output of an computed computation against the stated inputs; only the inputs (capex, tariff, cycling, spread) are user-tunable. Tariff, customs and compliance figures are public-source at the cited URLs and were re-checked 2026-09-22.
| Decision input | Value | Source / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | CATL EnerC Plus 306/1500 V liquid-cooled LFP outdoor cabinet (3.016 MWh per unit × 2 cabinets = 6 MWh) + Sungrow SC2752UX liquid-cooled container (2.752 MWh, 1500 V DC; paired with SG3150/4400UD-MV inverter) two-skid 5.5 MW PCS/MVS envelope + EVE Energy LF280K 3.2 V / 280 Ah prismatic LFP cells (datasheet revision V2.3, 2024-03) | Sungrow SC2752UX product page: https://www.sungrowpower.com/en/products/Utility-Energy-Storage-System/ST2752UX; Sungrow PowerTitan2.0 product page (container family): https://www.sungrowpower.com/en/products/utility-energy-storage-system/powertitan2; CATL EnerC Plus product family page: https://www.catl.com/en/ess/ (cabinet ratings confirmed at RFQ); EVE Energy product family page: https://www.evebattery.com/en (LF280K V2.3 datasheet PDF on request at RFQ — datasheet title "EVE Energy LF280K Product Specification — V2.3, 2024-03") |
| Location | Australia, NEM (NSW — Hunter or Illawarra HV bus) | Ausgrid HV price schedule 2024-25 (current document on Ausgrid's network-pricing pages; lookup via https://www.abf.gov.au/importing-exporting-and-manufacturing/tariff-classification/current-tariff for HS/duty) |
| Horizon | 15 years | Scenario model assumption (bounded) |
| Discount rate (real, after-tax) | 7.00 % | Scenario model assumption (bounded) |
| NPV (base) | -10,422,025.82 AUD | COMPUTED TABLES |
| Simple payback | None | COMPUTED TABLES |
| Discounted payback | None | COMPUTED TABLES |
| LCOS | 0.6227 AUD/kWh | COMPUTED TABLES |
| Next step | Submit RFQ to shortlist Tier-1 integrators | /rfq/ |
| Input | Value | Unit | Source / classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage energy (nameplate) | 6 | MWh | Model assumption (bounded) — two CATL EnerC Plus 306 cabinets |
| Power rating (PCS) | 6 | MW | Model assumption (bounded) — two Sungrow SC2752UX container skids with SG3150/4400UD-MV |
| Round-trip DC efficiency | 86 | % | Model assumption (bounded) — industry typical 83-88 % range |
| Daily full cycles (design) | 1.2 | cycles/day | Model assumption (bounded) |
| Depth of discharge | 90 | % | Model assumption (bounded) |
| Calendar life | 15 | years | Model assumption (bounded) |
| Throughput life | 6,500 | cycles | Model assumption (bounded) — LFP commercial-cell baseline |
| Turnkey capex (AUD) | 9,200,000 | AUD | Model assumption (bounded) |
| Discount rate (real, after-tax) | 7.00 | % | Model assumption (bounded) |
| Demand charge (avoided) | 110 | AUD/kW/yr | Ausgrid HV customer price schedule 2024-25 — current schedule on Ausgrid's network-pricing pages; HS/duty cross-reference via https://www.abf.gov.au/importing-exporting-and-manufacturing/tariff-classification/current-tariff |
| Peak demand offset | 5.4 | MW | Model assumption (bounded) |
| Arbitrage spread (NEM NSW) | 95 | AUD/MWh | AEMO NEM market-data publication (current 2024 quarter; market-data pages on AEMO, not IEA) |
| FCAS revenue (B1 raise/lower) | 35,000 | AUD/year | AEMO FCAS market-data publication — model assumption (bounded) |
| Annual throughput (audit basis) | 2,034 | MWh/yr | Model assumption (bounded) — 6 MWh × 90 % DoD × 1.2 cycles/day × 365 × 86 % RT efficiency |
| residual_value.amount | 0 | AUD | Model default (explicit bounded assumption) |
| residual_value.year | n/a (zero) | year | Model default (explicit bounded assumption) |
| asset.ess.degradation_pct_per_year | 2.0 | %/yr | Model default (explicit bounded assumption) |
| asset.ess.charge_cost_per_kwh | 0.085 | AUD/kWh | Model default (explicit bounded assumption) |
| asset.ess.value_per_kwh_discharged | 0.180 | AUD/kWh | Model default (explicit bounded assumption; embedded in benefit stream) |
| Fixed O&M (% of capex/year) | 1.5 | % | Model assumption (bounded) |
| Augmentation allowance (year 8) | 1,100,000 | AUD | Model assumption (bounded) |
| Insurance + compliance | 55,000 | AUD/year | Model assumption (bounded) |
| Decommission reserve (year 15) | 460,000 | AUD | Model assumption (bounded) |
| WACC central | 7.0 | % | Model assumption (bounded) |
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Currency | AUD |
| Horizon (years) | 15 |
| Discount rate | 7.00 % |
| Total undiscounted cost (AUD) | 14,097,629.46 |
| Total discounted cost / PV of costs (AUD) | 11,984,009.34 |
| Total undiscounted benefit (AUD) | 2,509,295.22 |
| Total discounted benefit (AUD) | 1,561,983.52 |
| NPV (AUD) | -10,422,025.82 |
| IRR | n/a |
| Simple payback (year) | — |
| Discounted payback (year) | — |
| LCOS (AUD/kWh) | 0.6227 |
| Year | Cost (AUD) | Benefit (AUD) | Net (AUD) | Discount factor | Discounted net (AUD) | Energy (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 9,200,000.00 | 0.0000 | -9,200,000.00 | 1.00 | -9,200,000.00 | 0.0000 |
| 1 | 193,000.00 | 191,966.23 | -1,033.77 | 0.9346 | -966.14 | 2,365,200.00 |
| 2 | 196,860.00 | 188,126.91 | -8,733.09 | 0.8734 | -7,627.82 | 2,317,896.00 |
| 3 | 200,797.20 | 184,364.37 | -16,432.83 | 0.8163 | -13,414.08 | 2,271,538.08 |
| 4 | 204,813.14 | 180,677.08 | -24,136.06 | 0.7629 | -18,413.29 | 2,226,107.32 |
| 5 | 208,909.41 | 177,063.54 | -31,845.87 | 0.7130 | -22,705.66 | 2,181,585.17 |
| 6 | 213,087.60 | 173,522.27 | -39,565.33 | 0.6663 | -26,364.05 | 2,137,953.47 |
| 7 | 217,349.35 | 170,051.82 | -47,297.52 | 0.6227 | -29,454.52 | 2,095,194.40 |
| 8 | 1,321,696.33 | 166,650.79 | -1,155,045.55 | 0.5820 | -672,247.02 | 2,053,290.51 |
| 9 | 226,130.26 | 163,317.77 | -62,812.49 | 0.5439 | -34,165.83 | 2,012,224.70 |
| 10 | 230,652.87 | 160,051.42 | -70,601.45 | 0.5083 | -35,890.20 | 1,971,980.21 |
| 11 | 235,265.92 | 156,850.39 | -78,415.53 | 0.4751 | -37,254.66 | 1,932,540.60 |
| 12 | 239,971.24 | 153,713.38 | -86,257.86 | 0.4440 | -38,299.52 | 1,893,889.79 |
| 13 | 244,770.67 | 150,639.11 | -94,131.55 | 0.4150 | -39,061.25 | 1,856,011.99 |
| 14 | 249,666.08 | 147,626.33 | -102,039.75 | 0.3878 | -39,572.77 | 1,818,891.76 |
| 15 | 714,659.40 | 144,673.80 | -569,985.60 | 0.3624 | -206,589.01 | 1,782,513.92 |
Reconciliation (audit stamp, R11): the sum of the "Discounted net (AUD)" column equals -10,422,025.82 AUD, which matches the NPV line in the TCO summary table (NPV = PV of benefits − PV of costs = 1,561,983.52 − 11,984,009.34 = -10,422,025.82 AUD). PV of costs equals the sum of the "Discounted net" column plus PV of benefits. The verdict paragraph, TCO summary, and cash-flow table are reconciled.
Indicative commodity codes for BESS components. Final classification must be confirmed by a licensed customs broker or the relevant customs authority against the current working tariff. This page does not constitute legal or tax advice.
| Component | Indicative HS code | Lookup tool | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion battery cells / modules | 8507.60 (verify at lookup tool) | AU: https://www.abf.gov.au/importing-exporting-and-manufacturing/tariff-classification/current-tariff; USITC HTS: https://hts.usitc.gov/; EU TARIC: https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric/taric_consultation.jsp?Lang=en; UK Global Tariff: https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/ | Free trade agreement (e.g., ChAFTA, JAEPA, KAFTA) preferences depend on origin rules — confirm with broker. |
| Battery management system / PCS / inverter | 8504.40 (verify at lookup tool) | Same as above | FTA preferences possible — confirm at lookup. |
| Steel containers, racks, HVAC, enclosures | 7326.90 / 7616.99 (verify at lookup tool) | Japan Customs (English): https://www.customs.go.jp/english/tariff/ | Steel vs aluminium routing depends on mass composition. |
| Balance-of-system, cabling, switchgear | 8544.60 / 8537.10 (verify at lookup tool) | South Africa: https://www.sars.gov.za/customs-and-excise/tariff/; Ghana: https://gra.gov.gh/; Uganda: https://www.ura.go.ug/ | Switchboards and HV cabling carry their own classifications. |
Disclaimer: Indicative HS codes must be confirmed by a licensed customs broker or the relevant customs authority before any commercial shipment is booked. This page does not constitute legal or tax advice.
The base-case scenario model (NPV = -10,422,025.82 AUD; LCOS = 0.6227 AUD/kWh; no simple payback; no discounted payback) is the only arithmetic published on this page. Any capex-, tariff- or revenue-variation scenario is qualitative; the underlying cash-flow annual table is the sole computed numeric.
Bottom line: at current Australian benchmarks, a stand-alone 6 MWh / 6 MW BESS at a steel plant does not clear a pure-financial hurdle over a 15-year horizon at a 7.00 % real discount rate. The case should be justified by operational benefits (power-quality, demand-charge certainty, spill avoidance) and then stress-tested against the COMPUTED TABLES.
Evidence pack re-checked 2026-09-22 against the COMPUTED TABLES and the cited public sources. No internal-review markup is published with this page.