The initiative seeks to add 500 MW of storage capacity in critical nodes of the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (AMBA) and guarantee electricity supply during peak demand.

The Government of Argentina, through a resolution of the Energy Secretariat of the Ministry of Economy, published the national and international open call “GBA Storage - AlmaGBA”, aimed at the contracting of electric energy storage plants.

"This initiative, unprecedented in the country but already applied worldwide, seeks to add 500 MW of storage capacity in critical nodes of the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (AMBA), with an estimated investment of US$ 500 million and an execution period of between 12 and 18 months. The objective is to guarantee a more reliable and efficient electricity supply, especially during peak demand," explained the Argentine Government.

This new infrastructure is the beginning of a series of measures aimed at guaranteeing the provision of energy in the country, starting with the AMBA. Provincial jurisdictions are invited to analyze this modality and replicate similar actions in their territories, addressing the critical nodes that the Wholesale Electricity Market Administration Company (CAMMESA) has already identified.

After decades of disinvestment and decapitalization, the Argentine electricity system faces serious challenges in terms of infrastructure and response capacity. This tender for next-generation batteries (BESS) marks a paradigm shift, prioritizing private investment and technological innovation to solve structural problems.

The storage contracts will be made with the distributors Edenor and Edesur, and will have the support of the CAMMESA Management Company as guarantor.

This action is part of a series of measures that the National Government has been developing since October of last year with the Contingency Plan, which includes short, medium and long-term actions to recover an electrical system that in December 2023 was in a critical state.