The winners of the AlmaSADI tender for 700 MW of batteries in Argentina are working to have their 20 projects operational during the first half of 2027.
Therefore, 360Energy, Aluar, DQD Energy and Genneia raised the question of how the adjusted schedules for manufacturing, transport, construction and testing impact the goal of adding the 700.5 MW awarded to the electrical system.
“We aim to have the projects operational by the beginning of next year. First, we have a battery delivery deadline this year, mainly due to a tax issue in China,” said Marcelo Rodríguez , commercial manager of DQD Energy , a company that will concentrate its developments in northeastern Argentina through eight projects assigned for 149.5 MW.
“That Chinese tax issue applies to practically everyone. The CODs are very, very tight, and there's a logistical issue to ensure the equipment arrives on time and in good condition,” added Agustín Heredia, Public Affairs and Sustainability Manager at Genneia, the company that won the largest number of contracts in the tender with 7 projects totaling 421 MW .
One of the factors explaining this is China's decision to gradually reduce tax incentives for battery exports. As of April 1, 2026, the VAT refund was reduced from 9% to 6%, and the benefit will be eliminated entirely as of January 1, 2027.
The other factor that comes into play is linked to the objective of entering commercial operation from May 1, 2027, and the benefit of capturing up to 25% more payment for entering operation on that date, considering that it will be progressively reduced until it ends in 2028.
“We’re trying to get the batteries shipped from China this year because there’s a 6% price difference from one day to the next; that kind of sets the deadline. And our goal is to have all the work ready so the battery arrives and we can plug it in. I hope we can achieve that,” Rodríguez explained.
The margin for absorbing delays will be small. Manufacturing, shipping, maritime transport, and connectivity must be linked without major deviations to maintain the planned dates.
360Energy, the company awarded the contract for 3 BESS power plants with a capacity of 68 MW, estimates a timeline that would not exceed 7-8 months from the signing of the contract with the battery manufacturer until the start-up of the project.
“Regarding the processes for bringing in the batteries, it takes two or three months for manufacturing, two months for transit time, one month for construction, and with the new CAMMESA technical annex it might take 10-15 days to a month for testing, since with the new annex it will take more time and cost more,” explained Juan Pablo Alagia , Development and Technology Manager at 360Energy .
For 360Energy, however, the main challenge isn't the technology: “We already have two battery systems; it's not complex, and perhaps that's why it's a bankable project, because there's no high level of technology involved. For me, the most complex aspect, and where time is of the essence, is financing.”
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Aluar is working towards the same goal. “The answer is that we are working to have them operational in the first half of next year,” confirmed Marcos Moore, coordinator of New Energy Businesses at the aluminum manufacturer, which aims to become an energy giant and will be responsible for the 50 MW BESS Goya project .
The timing of the contract also takes on added importance because the government decided not to increase the originally allocated volume . Thus, a significant portion of the submitted pipeline remains on hold, awaiting new contracting windows.
More than 7000 MW are looking for a new entry point
The timing of the contract also takes on added importance because the government decided not to increase the originally allocated volume . Thus, more than 7,000 MW that had participated were left out of AlmaSADI, awaiting new bidding opportunities.
“In our case, we submitted 11 projects and only won one in the AlmaSADI tender. That means we have 10 more in the pipeline, which are projects that have already been developed, and if a new opportunity arises tomorrow with a different focus, we have an advantage,” Moore noted.
“It’s work that has been done, and well, the file is there; we’re counting on that. Later, new projects will be developed depending on what is requested and the conditions,” he added.
One of the alternatives that the sector is pursuing is the Additional Reliability Reserve Service (Additional Reliability Reserve Service or popularly known as SerCA) , designed to incorporate firm capacity under a technological neutrality scheme.
The call for bids for 1000 MW is expected soon, where renewable generation with batteries, hybrid projects, thermal power plants, hydroelectric infrastructure and other solutions capable of providing power could compete, and where the economic scheme would be different from that of AlmaSADI.
“We are eagerly awaiting the announcement, the details of the tender, and analyzing our participation. I understand that the offtaker in SerCA will not be CAMMESA, but rather an additional payment because the power market today does not repay projects; it will pay around USD 5,000 per MW/month (far from the average of USD 8,427 per MW/month awarded in the AlmaSADI battery tender),” stated the commercial manager of DQD Energy.
360Energy also believes that the growth of storage should not be tied solely to new public tenders.
“Tenders stimulate activity when a market is still in its early stages, but we understand that CAMMESA and the State shouldn't be left to handle it alone. Therefore, for us, self-consumption projects are mandatory, and many of them should include battery storage,” Alagia stated at the AHK Argentina meeting.
“We are even working with some industries that, despite it being a bit more expensive, want batteries because they experience micro-outages. In other words, we are working within the industry itself, not just waiting for the bidding process. We need to generate alternatives from other angles, and little by little, the industrialists who drive these projects are becoming more enthusiastic,” he revealed.
With that scenario, the first half of 2027 appears as the common reference for the 700.5 MW awarded , while the market begins to define what mechanisms will be able to channel the more than 7000 MW that were left out of this first round.