SYDNEY, May 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hithium, a leading global provider of energy storage solutions and services, announced its latest expansion into the global long-duration energy storage (LDES) sector with the debut of its ∞Power 6.9 MWh 8-hour energy storage system at the “Powering the Long Game” event in Sydney.

At the launch event, which gathered Australian clean energy partners and experts, the manufacturer shared its strategic insights on global LDES trends, market opportunities, and its long-term commitment to the region’s energy transition.

8-hour LDES Emerges as New Focus for Australian Policy and Investment

Australian states are rapidly advancing LDES policies for grid stability. New South Wales has mandated an 8-hour minimum discharge duration, targeting 28 GWh of long-duration storage by 2033, while Victoria has similarly updated its state-level LDES framework. Driven by both policy and market demand, Australia is accelerating toward storage durations of eight hours and beyond.

Delivering a keynote presentation on the rise of 8-hour LDES, Wendel Hortop, Head of Australia at Modo Energy, noted that as renewable energy shares increase, 8-hour LDES is becoming critical infrastructure, positioning Australia as a pioneer market for global LDES development.

Debuting the ∞Power 6.9 MWh System to Power the Local Green Transition

Tailored for the Australian market, Hithium officially launched its ∞Power 6.9 MWh 8-hour energy storage system. Unlike standard 4-hour systems stretched for longer use, this system is custom-engineered for 8-hour applications, from the cell level to the thermal management architecture.

Equipped with 1300 Ah LDES-dedicated cells, it delivers 6.9 MWh and 8 hours of continuous discharge within a standard 20-foot container. Optimized to minimize degradation during long-duration operations, the system is adapted to meet Australia’s specific economic, safety, and maintenance demands for grid regulation.

Industry Dialogue: Building the Long-Duration Energy Storage Ecosystem

An in-depth panel discussion followed, featuring Jay Che, Hithium’s Director of Application Engineering for Australia and APAC, alongside industry guests. The panel explored the LDES investment pipeline, grid reliability, and investor requirements for storage partners.

During the dialogue, Jay Che emphasized that developer priorities are shifting toward long-term partners who can deliver superior lifecycle economics alongside highly reliable and adaptable integration strategies to support grid resilience.