TechCapsules

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Eku Energy’s chief commercial officer Elias Saba asserts that Australia’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) has not fundamentally altered the company’s investment strategy, despite accelerating deployment of four-hour battery storage assets. Speaking at the Battery Asset Management Summit Australia 2026, Saba acknowledged the CIS helped expedite investment in longer-duration projects where commercial offtake was previously difficult to secure. However, he emphasized that Eku Energy continues to rely on private offtake agreements to underpin its commercialization strategy, ensuring projects reach financial close independently of government contracts. Saba criticized industry peers for overly aggressive tender bidding, arguing that such practices risk project viability. In contrast, Eku Energy maintains strict bidding discipline, prioritizing deliverable commitments over winning every tender round. This approach ensures grid connection works and planning remain robust. Saba concluded that the CIS has not harmed the broader market, noting that the fundamentals of project execution remain unchanged regardless of scheme participation. The company accepts missing certain tender rounds as a necessary trade-off for maintaining realistic, financially sound project pipelines.