Australia’s CIS Tender 7 Awards 7.8GW Renewables, Beating Target by Over Half
Australia’s seventh Capacity Investment Scheme tender awarded 19 renewable projects totalling 7.8GW, exceeding the target by over half and delivering record hybrid storage.
TL;DR
Australia's Capacity Investment Scheme Tender 7 selected 19 renewable projects delivering 7.8 gigawatts of power, well above the 5‑gigawatt target. Eight of those projects combine wind or solar with battery storage, providing over two gigawatts of generation and 7.9 gigawatt‑hours of storage.
Context
The tender opened in October 2025 and attracted 53 bids for a total of 18.6 gigawatts, showing strong market interest. It marks the largest allocation under the CIS framework to date, surpassing the previous record of 6.6 gigawatts set in Tender 4.
Wind contributed the biggest share, with 4.8 gigawatts of awarded capacity, while solar accounted for 3.0 gigawatts. The results reflect the government's push to meet emissions‑reduction goals as coal plants retire.
Key Facts
Nineteen projects were awarded, together set to generate 7.8 gigawatts, which is more than 50 percent above the original 5‑gigawatt target.
Eight of the awards are hybrid developments, pairing wind or solar farms with batteries to deliver over 2 gigawatts of generation and 7.9 gigawatt‑hours of storage.
New South Wales received the largest slice, securing nine projects that total 3.9 gigawatts of generation and 6.4 gigawatt‑hours of storage. Having reached its allocation limit, NSW will not be eligible for future CIS tenders.
Queensland followed with five projects delivering 2.7 gigawatts of generation and 1.5 gigawatt‑hours of storage, while Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia also received awards.
What It Means
The hybrid projects add dispatchable renewable capacity, helping to smooth fluctuations as the National Electricity Market shifts away from fossil fuels. Developers have pledged roughly AU$504.6 million (US$361 million) in community benefits during construction.
Construction is expected to create more than 19,000 jobs and over 1,500 long‑term operations and maintenance positions.
Watch for final contract execution and how the new storage assets influence grid stability in the coming years, as well as the design of the next CIS round now that NSW is excluded.
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