Why the ISP Puts Batteries at the Heart of the NEM with Alex Wonhas (AMPYR)

Oct 1, 2025

In this discussion, Alex Wonhas, CEO of Ampyr Australia and former AEMO system design lead, shares insights on Australia's renewable energy landscape. He highlights the Bulabul One project as a game-changer in battery storage. Alex emphasizes the critical role of the Integrated System Plan in integrating renewables and discusses innovative equity-sharing with First Nations communities. He also explores the need for more batteries due to rising solar deployment and the potential for grid-forming technologies to enhance overall system resilience.

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ANECDOTE

Bulabul One Launch And Indigenous Partnership

Ampyr developed Bulabul One, a 300 MW / 600 MWh battery, as their first large-scale Australian project and reached financial close quickly.
They created a First Nations equity-sharing scheme intended to transform local indigenous community benefits.

ADVICE

Stack Offtakes To Serve Diverse Customers

Layer multiple offtake structures like virtual tolls and fixed-for-floating swaps to tailor large battery offerings to different customers.
Design integrated operations early to manage the added operational complexity and deliver bespoke products.

ADVICE

Site Projects Close To Customers

When choosing project sites, get as close to customers as possible to reduce grid risk and better match contract needs.
Balance proximity with higher land costs and noise exposure through careful front-end development decisions.

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Australia’s energy system is at a tipping point. As more renewables come online, the challenge is no longer just about building generation but about ensuring the grid can handle it reliably, affordably, and at speed. Without flexible infrastructure, bottlenecks grow, projects stall, and costs climb.

In this episode, Wendel is joined by Alex Wonhas. The conversation explores how projects like Bulable One are redefining what batteries can deliver, how connections reform is shaping deployment, and how equity-sharing with First Nations groups could set a new standard for community benefit. We also look at what Australia’s experience can teach the world about scaling storage and sharing the gains of the clean energy transition fairly.

Key topics covered include:

• How the Bulable One project is setting new benchmarks for battery storage in Australia.

• Why the Integrated System Plan (ISP) positions storage as the backbone of a renewable grid.

• What connections reform means for speeding up the pipeline of projects.

• How equity-sharing with First Nations communities can shape a fairer energy transition.

• What the rest of the world can learn from Australia’s approach to scaling storage and renewables.

About our guest

Alex Wonhas is CEO of Ampyr Australia, where he is leading the company’s expansion into large-scale renewables and storage across the NEM. With a career spanning system design at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and senior leadership in global engineering consultancy, Alex brings deep expertise in how to plan, build, and operate complex power systems. For more information on AMPYR, head to their website.

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.