Both installations employ lithium-iron-phosphate battery technology supplied by Chinese manufacturer CATL, with 1,080 inverters and 23 transformation centers provided by Huawei. Construction at Nuevo Puerto has reached 70 percent completion, with civil works finished and equipment installation underway. During July, crews installed up to 12 battery units per day, and total electrical cabling will exceed 120 kilometers. Capital deployment through the reporting period reached $106 million, representing 81 percent of committed investment.
The systems will charge during overnight low-demand periods and discharge during daytime consumption peaks, effectively time-shifting electricity supply to moments of grid stress. Strategic placement within the metropolitan area allows energy injection at network nodes experiencing transmission constraints, reducing reliance on power transfers from distant generation sources. The AMBA concentrates approximately 50 percent of national electricity consumption, with peak demand reaching 12,500 to 13,000 MW during summer while nearby generation capacity stands at 7,500 MW.
Central Puerto’s commercial director Gabriel Ures noted that Argentina faces no structural generation deficit but encounters distribution capacity challenges during extreme heat events that drive residential air conditioning demand. The battery systems operate under 15-year power purchase agreements with distributor Edesur as offtaker, with remuneration based primarily on capacity availability rather than price arbitrage, including discharge cycle limits and penalties for non-availability.
The projects advance under regulatory framework Resolution 400, which introduced greater contracting flexibility in Argentina’s electricity market while increasing risk exposure for private participants. Central Puerto secured the two most competitive projects in the AlmaGBA tender, which forms part of broader government efforts to add 683 MW of storage capacity across the metropolitan area by mid-2027. The company also evaluates participation in future transmission tenders including AMBA I, which contemplates approximately 270 kilometers of new lines to reinforce regional electricity transport capacity.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
