Chile US$224mn transmission auction draws 10 bidders

Ten parties submitted bids for grid work in Chile’s first transmission auction of 2024.

The process corresponds to decrees No. 4/2024 and No. 200/2022 and transmission regulation article No. 157.

The process comprises projects being auctioned for the first time, along with projects that have previously been put on the auction block. Total investment is estimated at US$224mn.

The bulk of the projects, all expansions of existing infrastructure, are being offered in groups, with just two offered individually.

Andaluza de Montajes Eléctricos y Telefónicos Agencia en Chile bid for the bulk of work, accounting for 10 of the 37 technical offers and 10 of the 31 economic offers.

The other bidders seeking the work are the following: Bac Ingenieros, Changshu Fengfan Power Equipment, Conexión Kimal Lo Aguirre, Elecnor Chile, Monlux Chile, Powerchina Agencia Chile, Quantum Energy, Sistema De Transmisión Del Sur and Tucapel Energia. Sistema De Transmisión Del Sur also bid.

Most projects constitute substation expansions, with others chiefly power line expansion and power line sectioning initiatives.

The biggest single project in the portfolio is a US$60mn initiative to hang a second circuit on 2x500kV Ancoa-Charrúa line, according to information in bidding rules.

Work offered is for infrastructure owned by CGE Transmisión, Engie Energía Chile, Transemel, AES Gener, Transelec, Sociedad Austral de Transmisión Troncal, Transelec Holdings Rentas Limitada, Chilquinta Transmisión, SAESA, Sociedad Transmisora Metropolitana II, Alfa Transmisora de Energía, Charrúa Transmisora de Energía, Cooperativa Eléctrica Paillaco, Sistema de Transmisión del Sur, Transelec Concesiones, Eletrans and Solar Elena.

Economic bids are due to be opened on November 14 and award documents published on November 22, according to a schedule published by grid coordinator CEN. 

Two other 2024 transmission auction processes are underway in parallel. 

A document containing the names of the bidding parties and their respective bids can be seen in the Documents box in the top-right corner.

The bidding rules for the first auction of 2024, which contain details of the individual projects, can also be seen in the Documents box.