Buenos Aires outdoor energy storage power supply BESS price

Argentina has opened a $500 million battery storage tender aimed at adding 500 MW of new energy storage capacity in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. The AlmaGBA program, managed by CAMMESA, offers long-term contracts with fixed payments and financial guarantees to attract developers.

Argentina has taken a major step toward modernizing its energy infrastructure with the launch of a 500 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) tender under the AlmaGBA program.

The cost of BESS has fallen significantly over the past decade, with more precipitous drops in recent years: This is nearly a 70% reduction in three years, owing to falling battery pack prices (now as low as $60-70/kWh in China), increased deployment, and improved efficiency.

Buenos Aires, with its dense urban load and aging infrastructure, is an ideal candidate for such an upgrade. Moreover, this tender arrives at a time when battery prices are becoming increasingly competitive, and international developers are actively seeking new markets with clear regulatory frameworks and stable revenue models.

It is nonetheless still eye-opening to note just how big those differences in cost are. The average for a turnkey system in China including 1-hour, 2-hour and 4-hour duration BESS was just US$101/kWh. In the US, the average was US$236/kWh and in Europe US$275/kWh, more than double China's average cost.