Two business groups submitted bids totaling over USD 25 million to advance a new phase of the General Pico Photovoltaic Solar Park in La Pampa province. The process will initially add 15 MW and includes the possibility of accepting both proposals, bringing the total expansion to 30 MW.
The offers were received by Pampetrol SAPEM within the framework of Public Tender No. 1/26 , which seeks to select private capital for the construction, assembly, connection, start-up, operation, maintenance and marketing of the energy produced by the new development.
The first proposal was submitted by CIMEPRO SA, Martínez y De La Fuente SA and MEGATRANS SA , with a total Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) cost of USD 12,373,594 . The second corresponds to Vial A SA and TPS Constructora SA – UT Gral. Pico , for USD 12,826,225 .
Thus, the two bids total USD 25,199,819 . The technical and economic evaluation by the Pre-Award Committee will now begin, so the submission of the proposals does not yet imply their award.
According to the terms of the call for bids, each proposal corresponds to 15 MW of generation capacity , and there is a possibility of accepting two viable offers. If this occurs, the second stage would reach 30 MW .
The project will be executed through a public-private partnership and on a turnkey basis. The private partner will contribute 80% of the capital required for construction, commissioning, and operation, while Pampetrol will hold a 20% stake.
The provincial company will also contribute strategic assets for development, including the land, environmental studies and connection feasibility .
Added to this is a key element for the financial structuring of the project: a 20-year energy supply contract is planned with the Provincial Energy Administration , which will provide a long-term horizon for the commercialization of the electricity generated.
The new capacity will constitute the second stage of the photovoltaic deployment in General Pico. The 15 MW corresponding to the first phase are currently under construction, so the eventual awarding of the two proposals would allow for doubling that capacity by another 30 MW.
The provincial objective is to continue scaling up later until progressively reaching 50 MW of installed solar power in General Pico .
La Pampa aims for 35% renewables by 2030
The opening of the two bids is part of the province's Strategic Energy Plan, which seeks to increase generation within the territory and use the electrical infrastructure as support for productive growth, particularly in the northern Pampas region.
“ This opening of bids confirms that the path started with the Victorica Solar Park and the first stage of General Pico, currently under construction, has continuity ,” said María de los Ángeles Roveda, president of Pampetrol.
“This is not an isolated project, but a state policy that combines the strength of a public company with private investment so that La Pampa can produce its own energy, with clear rules and benefits that remain in the province,” he added.
The strategy is especially aimed at creating conditions for the establishment and expansion of industries in General Pico, one of the main production hubs in the province.
Meanwhile, La Pampa maintains its goal of achieving a 35% share of renewable sources in provincial electricity generation by 2030 .
The immediate decision now rests with the Pre-Award Commission. If both proposals pass the evaluation and are ultimately accepted, General Pico could add up to 30 MW in this second phase , on top of the 15 MW already under construction, bringing it one step closer to the provincial goal of reaching 50 MW of solar power in the city.