Argentina's Energy Secretariat is moving forward with the bidding process for the AMBA I project , the first major electricity transmission project to be carried out under a new concession model for the private sector, without state funding. "We expect to launch the bidding process during the first four months of next year," said National Energy Secretary María Tettamanti in an interview with Energía Estratégica during an event organized by the Chamber of Generators and Renewable Energy Value Chain (CEA). The project is part of an ambitious investment package that will redefine the country's energy infrastructure. AMBA I includes more than 500 kilometers of high-voltage lines , which will reinforce the supply capacity of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, where approximately 40% of the national electricity demand is concentrated. "We haven't yet made any estimates on how much the project will cost," Tettamanti noted.
However, the official assures that it will be fully financed by the private sector , as part of the new concession model. Unlike previous schemes, the current system transfers the investment, construction, operation, and maintenance of the works to private capital.
In this regard, no public funds will be allocated to the development of the projects, and the economic return will be generated through tolls. The winning bidder will only recover their investment once the project is completed and operational .
From there, tariff revenue is expected from users of the Wholesale Electricity Market (MEM) who benefit from the new infrastructure. Furthermore, once the operation and maintenance period expires, the concessionaire is projected to transfer the facilities to the National State at zero value , and their administration can be reassigned to the corresponding transmission company. "We are working with support from the Inter-American Development Bank to ensure the process is successful."
The IDB's support is focused particularly on the design of the guarantees and the key points of the bidding documents, with the goal of making them attractive and reliable for the private sector,” says Tettamanti, who emphasized that the priority is to create the right conditions for investors to participate in the process with predictability. “International organizations could provide support with the guarantees, determining which ones are necessary ,” the Secretary of Energy stated, highlighting the collaboration with entities that already have experience in large-scale energy infrastructure projects. “All the necessary instruments are being designed so that the private sector sees the bidding documents as reliable,” Tettamanti affirms, reiterating that the priority is to create the right conditions for investors to participate in the process with predictability.
Strategic Projects Underway: The opening of this first tender under the new regime will mark a milestone in the recent history of Argentina's electrical infrastructure , which until now has depended almost exclusively on state or multilateral funds for its expansion. With AMBA I as its spearhead, the government aims to usher in a new era of modernization for the transmission network , with private actors leading the projects and a focus on improving system reliability and enabling greater renewable energy generation. Why? AMBA I is one of three projects selected by the energy ministry in mid-2025 as part of the tender plan for private concessions.The other two are:
The 500 kV Río Diamante-Charlone O'Higgins line will allow the evacuation of renewable energy generation from the Cuyo region and part of the generation from Comahue; and the 500 kV Puerto Madryn-Choele Choel-Bahía Blanca line will improve the integration of Patagonia into the national grid. These initiatives are part of a megaplan of 16 priority projects , involving more than 5,600 kilometers of 132 kV and 500 kV lines , designed to alleviate bottlenecks, prevent outages, and strengthen the Argentine Interconnected System (SADI).