The Argentine government is finalizing the documents for bidding on AMBA I , one of the priority expansions of the national electricity system. According to information obtained by Energía Estratégica , the analysis is being conducted jointly by the Casa Rosada (Presidential Palace) and the Secretariat of Energy.
Once that stage is completed, the energy ministry will be in a position to begin the process. Sources linked to the project indicate that the publication could take place in the coming weeks , although there has been no official announcement with a specific date yet.
“The technical specifications are ready, they are finished and in the bidding process. It's ready to launch, but I can't give you the exact date.” Raúl Serrani , technical specialist and former deputy of the General Management of the Administration Committee of the Trust Fund for Federal Electric Transport, stated this during the public hearing held by the Ministry of Energy.
The procedure will consist of a general document, a specific document, and a technical document . All will be publicly accessible and will detail the contractual, economic, and operational conditions that interested parties must meet.
The progress comes after the Executive Branch announced, during the Future Energy Summit (FES) Argentina , that the documentation would be published between the end of March and the beginning of April 2026. That timeline was not met, and the process remains subject to further revisions.
AMBA I will be the first large-scale project within the infrastructure package prioritized by the Executive branch. Its main objective will be to reinforce the electricity supply to the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area , which accounts for approximately 40% of the national electricity demand.
The project will add approximately 1500 MVA of transformation capacity . This reinforcement will allow the system to respond to seasonal and residential peak demand, as well as reduce pressure on facilities currently operating in a critical area for the Argentine Interconnected System.
The project will be divided into two main stages . The first, corresponding to the basic infrastructure, includes the partial equipping of the Plomer transformer station, with a power bank equivalent to 855 MVA .
It also includes the 500 kV extra high voltage line between Atucha - Plomer (overhead line of approximately 97 km in length), the 500 kV Plomer - Ezeiza II line (34 km line and operational bypasses) and the 2x220 kV Plomer - Zappalorto high voltage line (29 km extension of regional connection).
While in the second phase, corresponding to the support network, the Plomer transformer station will be completed by incorporating two additional transformers.
In addition, the following works will be added:
- A 500 kV line between Plomer and Ezeiza I , approximately 34 km long.
- A second 500 kV link, also around 34 km long, with an operational bypass.
- A double-circuit 220 kV Plomer - Pantanosa line, approximately 35 km long , which will include an underground section.
- A double-circuit 220 kV line between Plomer and Zappalorto , approximately 29 km long.
- A double-circuit 132 kV line between Plomer, Luján and Mercedes , approximately 21 km long.
The detailed design will not be finalized before the contract is awarded. The future concessionaire will need to develop some of the engineering and adjust the final solution to meet the requirements of the carriers and the distributor involved.
“Several aspects related to the final technology that will be used in the project will be in accordance with that development, which will be done within the framework of the technical license, which is a contract that the concessionaire will sign with the transporters and also a connection agreement that will be signed with Edenor,” Serrani explained.
The contract will establish a total term of 52 months , starting from the date of signing with the concessionaire. Therefore, the integration of the assets into the system will be carried out progressively and will be linked to two commercial milestones.
The first commissioning phase is scheduled for 42 months from now and will allow a portion of the facilities to be put into service. The second phase will take place after 52 months and will correspond to the complete finishing of the project.
A grid prepared to receive new renewable generation
AMBA I is not limited to meeting the growth of metropolitan consumption. The expansion also seeks to create conditions to receive new renewable generation from the province of Buenos Aires and from projects located in the south of the country.
“We will be prepared for the arrival of that renewable energy,” Serrani stated. For that energy to reach the main national consumption center, other planned trunk line expansions will also be necessary.
Among them is the 500 kV Río Diamante–Charlone–O'Higgins line, designed to evacuate renewable and conventional production from Cuyo, as well as transport part of the electricity generated in Comahue.
Another selected initiative is the 500 kV Puerto Madryn–Choele Choel–Bahía Blanca connection, designed to strengthen the link between Patagonia and the main grid. This corridor will be crucial for expanding the evacuation of wind power generation.
The package will also have international financial backing. “The IDB will act as guarantor, and we are well advanced, so the Executive branch is working on the final documents to launch the bidding process as soon as possible,” government sources had anticipated.
The publication of AMBA I will be a concrete indicator of the pace of implementation of the expansion plan. The market is waiting to learn the terms of participation, risk allocation, contractual framework, and available guarantees.
While the official review continues, the project already has its main parameters defined: an additional 1,555 MVA, works at 500, 220 and 132 kV, two commercial authorizations and a maximum horizon of 52 months from the signing of the contract.