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Argentina’s Wholesale Electricity Market Administration Company (CAMMESA) has released a contract template to assist participants in the 500 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) tender launched in February.

The tender, named AlmaGBA Storage, was initiated by the Argentine Energy Secretariat with a total budget of $500 million. It aims to deploy BESS projects in the Greater Buenos Aires Area (AMBA), with implementation expected within 18 months.

According to the template, contracts will run for up to 15 years, starting from the date the BESS receives commercial authorization or from January 1, 2027—whichever comes first.

Under the contract, a fixed payment of $10/MWh will be provided for electricity supplied, while storage capacity will be compensated up to $15,000 per MW per month. CAMMESA will serve as the guarantor for payments for up to one year if electricity distributors Edenor and Edesur fail to pay.

To qualify, BESS units must be newly built and capable of discharging for at least four consecutive hours per full cycle.

Projects must range from 10 MW to a maximum of either 150 MW or the capacity limit specified by the designated grid connection point—whichever is lower.

The tender process is scheduled as follows: bid submission on June 10, evaluation during the first half of July, award announcements within a week after evaluation, and contract signings beginning on July 28.