Octopus to deploy Fluence’s automated bidder software for Australian solar farm

By Charlie Duffield
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The 333MW Darlington Point solar farm in Australia, owned by Octopus Investments. Image: Octopus Investments.

Octopus Investments Australia has deployed Fluence’s AI-powered trading platform to optimise the output of its 333MW Darlington Point Solar Farm in New South Wales (NSW).

Darlington Point is currently the nation’s largest operational solar power project in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM), and Octopus Investments will use Fluence’s trading platform to help secure the best possible price for power that is exported to Australia’s grid.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Octopus managing director Sam Reynolds said: “As proud owners of renewable energy assets, we are always striving to find innovative solutions that will improve asset performance for our investors. Solutions like this will help maximise revenue and investor returns by reducing price volatility, minimising costs and mitigating constraints.”

Australia’s NEM is in the midst of a transition towards deriving more power from renewable sources whilst also accelerating the timing of legacy power plant retirements.

Later this year, the NEM will shift to five-minute settlement periods where the market will be both dispatched and settled at five-minute intervals, requiring renewable energy assets to possess extremely accurate price forecasting capabilities to navigate an increasingly volatile market.

Fluence’s trading platform works by analysing thousands of variables to provide leading price forecasting and optimisation, using proprietary machine learning algorithms, enabling renewable asset owners such as Octopus Investments to optimise bidding and dispatch.

The resulting market-compliant bids can increase revenue for wind and solar asset owners by up to 10% over a 12-month period, Fluence claimed.

Seyed Madaeni, chief digital officer of Fluence, said: “The deployment of our AI-based trading platform at the largest solar farm in the NEM confirms that automated bidding tools are now firmly established as critical tools for operating renewable assets in the NEM. We’re excited to be supporting Octopus Investments and look forward to helping them navigate price volatility and constraints in an increasingly complex market.”

Australia’s wholesale power market has witnessed pricing volatility as swathes of renewables, in particular rooftop solar, has been installed in the country. Pricing volatility, alongside other concerns relating to policy and grid infrastructure, has caused some investors to withdraw from the market. An in-depth feature on the Australian solar investment market is to be included in the forthcoming edition of PV Tech Power, published later this month.

Read Next

September 4, 2025
ARENA has launched the second funding round of its AU$1 billion Solar Sunshot programme, making AU$150 million available.
Premium
September 2, 2025
In August 2025, the final month of Australia’s winter, utility-scale and rooftop solar PV generation in the National Electricity Market (NEM) saw a dramatic 22.5% month-on-month increase to 3,338GWh.
September 1, 2025
Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) hit a record high for the combined utility-scale solar PV and wind share in the electricity mix on 30 August.
August 31, 2025
Renewables developer and independent power producer (IPP) TagEnergy has acquired Australian developer ACE Power, adding 6GW of renewable energy and storage projects to its portfolio.
August 31, 2025
Two CIS tenders have opened in Western Australia, seeking 1.6GW of renewable energy generation in the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM).
August 28, 2025
Developer Pacific Energy has successfully commissioned a 26MW solar-plus-storage site at the Atlas-Campaspe mine in NSW, Australia.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines