The Duck Curve#australia
Akaysha refinances for A$1.75bn as Italy raises battery derating
Akaysha Energy said on October 20, 2026 it had refinanced debt on four Australian batteries into a A$1.75 billion portfolio facility from eleven banks. Italy's regulator ARERA on October 14 cleared higher derating rates for new batteries in the 2028 capacity auction, Vattenfall signed Fluence for a 254 MW Brunsbüttel battery and a tolling deal with Vopak, and Metlen and Karatzis opened a 330 MW, 790 MWh battery in Greece.
All 73 Hai Long turbines generating, WA and NSW lines advance, solar FIDs
Northland Power said on October 15, 2026 that all 73 turbines at its 1.0 GW Hai Long offshore wind project in Taiwan are installed and generating. Western Australia on October 14 selected Acciona, GenusPlus and UGL Engineering for Clean Energy Link - East, New South Wales put the New England REZ transmission EIS on exhibition until November 12, and Clean Energy Regulator data put 2026 large-scale solar investment decisions at 3,528 MW through September.
AEMO's 11am demand jump, a NSW price spike, Octopus's heat pump cooler
AEMO chief executive Daniel Westerman said on October 13, 2026 that NEM demand jumps about 360 MW at 11am, when free-power periods start under some tariffs, and Amber Electric says its NSW battery customers netted $2.12 million during an October 12 price spike to $23.11/kWh. Octopus Energy priced its Cosy Cooler heat pump add-on, NYSERDA split $200 million of NY-Sun money, and Qcells will sell home panels with Tennessee-made frames.
NSW apartment charging right, Mercedes home V2G, BMW batteries in China
New South Wales passed a law on October 15, 2026 giving apartment owners a right to install an EV charger on their lot that strata committees cannot unreasonably refuse; Mercedes-Benz launched home vehicle-to-grid charging in Germany on October 12; and BMW said on October 15 it had begun Gen6 battery production in Shenyang.
Ex-BP Dutch fast chargers change hands as US ports pass 80,000
E.ON Drive and Essent took over the former BP fast-charging network in the Netherlands, 79 sites with 370 charge points; the Electric Vehicle Council will lead an ARENA-backed national EV charging roadmap due in mid-2027; and Paren counted more than 80,000 US fast-charging ports at the end of September 2026, with Tesla's share at 49.3%.
UNSW and UtmoLight claim 23.5% record for a 676 cm² perovskite submodule
UNSW Sydney and industry partner UtmoLight have reached a certified stabilised efficiency of 23.5% on a 30 x 30 cm perovskite submodule with a 676 cm² aperture, which UNSW announced on October 7, 2026 as a world record, 0.6 points above the previous benchmark. The team next hopes for around 18-19% on a 2.8 m² full-scale module.
Australian BEV share eases to 24.2% in September on FCAI's count
Battery-electric vehicles took 24.2% of Australia's new vehicle market in September 2026, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries said on October 6, below the record 24.9% it reported for August and up from 11.3% in September 2025. The Driven counts 26,087 EVs against 26,018 petrol cars, a second straight month ahead of petrol.
Ampol agrees to buy Evie Networks and its 1,031 charging bays for A$225M
Ampol agreed on October 1, 2026 to buy Fast Cities Australia (Evie Networks) for A$225 million, adding more than 1,030 public charging bays for a combined network of about 1,425 bays at over 400 sites. Ampol anticipates breakeven EBITDA for the combined charging business in 2028 and targets annualised EBITDA of $30 million, including synergies, from Evie and its Energy Solutions unit within three years of completion, which is targeted for the first half of 2027 subject to ACCC clearance.
Australia added 276,011 batteries and 1,894 MW of rooftop solar in H1 2026
The Clean Energy Council said on September 29, 2026 that 180,878 rooftop solar systems (1,894 MW) and 276,011 batteries were installed in Australia in the first half of 2026, counted from applications to the Clean Energy Regulator including some still under review; solar installations rose 35 per cent on the first half of 2025, batteries 52 per cent on the preceding six months, and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program's first twelve months reached 457,439 batteries and 12.9 GWh.
Morgan Stanley's 1GT leads €49M Series E for Amber Electric
Amber Electric said on September 21, 2026 it closed a nearly twice oversubscribed Series E led by 1GT, which Amber calls Morgan Stanley's climate tech fund and Morgan Stanley Investment Management calls its private climate equity strategy, with existing backers ETF Partners, Innovation Victoria and E.ON participating, to scale in Australia and expand across Europe. Amber puts the round at $78.5 million with no currency named; Morgan Stanley's release states €49 million (about US$56.3 million). Amber says it orchestrates more than half of Australia's automated home batteries.
BYD Sealion 7 joins Amber's ARENA-backed V2G program in Australia
Amber Electric and BYD Australia announced on September 18, 2026 that the Sealion 7 joins Amber's vehicle-to-grid program, which Amber calls Australia's largest live V2G program, scaling to 1,000 households with A$13.6 million more from ARENA (May 29, 2026). The release says Sealion 7 owners in the program will have their EV battery covered under BYD's warranty support and that participants will be able to buy eligible Atto 3 or Sealion 7 variants at six per cent off the base RRP; as of September 20, 2026 the eligibility list and discount offer on Amber's program page name only the Atto 3.
Australia's battery-electric sales hit a record 24.9% share in August
Battery-electric vehicles took 24.9% of Australia's new vehicle market in August 2026, with 27,089 sold across all reporting sources, the highest number in any month, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries' September 3 release; The Driven calls the share the best on record, above 23.5% in June. The Electric Vehicle Council puts BEVs plus plug-in hybrids at 36% of the market with the Tesla Model Y the best-selling vehicle at 6,414, and The Driven's tally has petrol cars at 25,824 and diesels at 23,608, both below the BEV count.