The AlmaSADI tender is generating unprecedented participation expectations in Argentina, with projected bids that could multiply the volume to be awarded several times over. Therefore, both the public and private sectors agree that the process will far surpass the level observed in AlmaGBA.
“My expectation is that there will be at least four times the number of bids for the target capacity (700 MW) in the AlmaSADI battery tender,” stated Marcelo Álvarez , president of the Argentine Chamber of Renewable Energies (CADER). “This will surely push the price down compared to the AlmaGBA tender, although at the same time we have rising costs for CAPEX at the source,” he added during a meeting organized by CADER at the Lisicki Litvin & Associates law firm. The government also highlighted the strong initial market interest, with increasing inquiries and a level of participation that would surpass the previous process, which awarded 713 MW of BESS projects to be installed in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area.
The AlmaSADI tender is generating many inquiries; there is a lot of interest.
"It is a tender that will be more important than AlmaGBA," added Maximiliano Bruno , National Director of Electricity Generation, during the meeting attended by Energía Estratégica .
And it is worth remembering that the AlmaSADI tender seeks to award 700 MW of storage (BESS), with the possibility of expanding to 770 MW.
Furthermore, the deadlines were recently extended at the request of the bidders to improve the quality and competitiveness of the proposals.
As a result, the submission of bids and opening of envelopes A (administrative and technical proposals) will take place on May 27 (instead of the originally planned May 8) and the opening and evaluation of economic bids (Envelopes B) was moved to June 24 .
While the award was moved to July 8 .
And although the original deadline has already been extended by two weeks, CAMMESA and the government anticipate that the current schedule will not be extended further, meaning there would be no further postponements unless there is some extraordinary event that warrants it.
Likewise, the target date for the start of commercial operation (January 2027) remains in place for the time being, despite private sector companies raising the need to extend the deadline given that, from the date of the award, there would be only a few months to commission the projects. Technical details of the tender: The technical structure of the tender establishes parameters that seek to balance the integration of the BESS plants with the operation of the electrical system, so the technical design sets projects between 10 and 150 MW and requires four hours of unloading. What is the reason for the size of the projects to be submitted? It is not a technical objective, but rather an operational and administrative one.
Everyone wants smaller projects because they are better suited to 33 or 13 kV networks, but the more projects of that nature we have, the more complicated it is to dispatch and manage, so the ideal is a mix of some large projects with some small projects; explained Juan Luchilo, general manager of CAMMESA.
In parallel, the review of nodes (through circulars No. 1 and 2 of the call for proposals) and the incorporation of points in the Argentine Northeast (NEA) or areas with limits of 120 MW or 150 MW in Buenos Aires, among other examples, seeks to enhance competition and allow a greater diversity of projects.
The total capacity of regional locations where projects can be submitted has increased by almost 50%, which intensifies interregional competition, Luchilo emphasized. With this combination of variables—high expected participation, greater technical openness, and downward pressure on prices—AlmaSADI is shaping up to be a turning point for the development of storage in Argentina. The key will be how rising costs are balanced with the aggressive competition in the market.