Argentina’s Energy Secretariat Postpones 700 MW Storage Tender

 

 

 

Argentina's Energy Secretariat Postpones 700 MW Storage Tender, Adjusts Grid Connection Nodes and Subsidy Mechanisms

 

 

 

Argentina's Energy Secretariat has officially extended the timeline for the "Almasadí" battery energy storage system tender via Circular No. 1. This flagship project aims to deploy 700 MW of standalone energy storage systems across key nodes of the national power grid. The entire process has been extended by two weeks; the submission and opening of Tender Package A (Administrative and Technical Proposals) have been rescheduled from the original date of May 8 to May 27, while the opening and evaluation of Tender Package B (Financial Offers) have been postponed to June 24, with the final contract award scheduled for July 8.

Concurrently, structural adjustments were made to the tender: ten new key nodes were added in northeastern Argentina to bolster energy storage supply, though the total number of nodes was ultimately reduced, and the total regional capacity was adjusted downward from 990 MW to 740 MW. The newly established or modified nodes include Villa Ángela, San Bernardo, Campo Largo, Resistencia Norte, La Leonesa, Bella Vista, Goya, Clorinda, Güemes, Laguna Blanca, and Formosa-all of which operate at a 132 kV voltage level.

Projects participating in the tender must fall within a capacity range of 10 MW to 150 MW, perform a maximum of 180 operational cycles per year, and provide continuous power supply for four hours during critical demand periods. The tender establishes a price cap of US$ 12,500 per MW per month and stipulates that at least 30% of the system's capacity must be allocated for frequency control reserves, with remuneration for ancillary services set at US$ 5 per MWh. Furthermore, under the Almasadí terms, the price spread between charging and discharging cycles must be maintained at a minimum of US$ 10 per MWh to ensure economic viability.