Two firms bid for pioneering Chile substation energy storage project

Twelve companies submitted technical and economic offers in Chile’s second transmission auction of 2023.

Technical bids have been opened and are now in the evaluation phase, while economic bids are due to be opened on October 24 and award decisions announced on November 3, according to information from grid coordinator CEN.

Officials are seeking bids for 15 new-build projects with a combined price tag of US$414mn. Overall estimated investment in conditional expansion projects is US$99.6mn. Planned work corresponds to projects in decrees No. 257/2022, 200/2022, 229/2021 and 185/2021.  

The flagship project is a US$211mn initiative to incorporate storage capacity into the Lo Aguirre and Parinas substations, to control power flow along the 500kV lines that connect them. The storage facilities must have a minimum capacity, in each substation, of 500MVA/125MWh, according to a preliminary report on the plan issued by national energy commission CNE. Transmission firms ISA and Transelec Holdings Rentas bid for the work, which would be carried out in the Pudahuel district in Santiago metropolitan region and the Tal-Tal district in Antofagasta region. 

The initiative – given that it involves installation in the transmission system rather than, for example, within a renewables power generation complex – would be the first of its kind in the country and Latin America. The bulk of energy storage projects entering the environmental evaluation system today involve battery units incorporated into a renewable energy park. 

COMPANIES BIDDING IN THE AUCTION

Bidder: Alupar Chile Inversiones
Technical offers: 3
 Economic offers: 1

Project: New El Pimiento sectioning substation
Reference price: US$18mn

Project: New 1X110kV line El Pimiento-Monte Blanco, new 1X110kV line El Pimiento-El Lazo and new 1X110kV line Monte Blanco-El Lazo.
Reference price: US$14.9mn

Project: New substations Monte Blanco and El Lazo
Reference price: US$13mn

***

Bidder: Besalco
Technical offers: 6
Economic offers: 3

Project: New Linderos sectioning substation
Reference price: US$16.3mn

Project: New El Guindal sectioning substation
Reference price: US$9.31mn

Project: Expand capacity of 1x66kV line Buin-Linderos
Reference price: US$2.17mn

Project: New 1x66kV line Santa Elisa-Quilmo II
Reference price: US$5.18mn

Project: Expansion of 66kV substation Quilmo II and sectioning of 1x66kV line Chillán-Tap Quilmo
Reference price: US$2.03mn

Project: Expansion of 66kV Santa Elisa substation, new transformer and sectioning of 1x66kV line Nueva Aldea-Santa Elvira
Reference price: US$4.48mn

***

Bidder: Celeo Redes Chile
Technical offers: 8
Economic offers: 5

Project: New Llullaillaco sectioning substation
Reference price: US$21.9mn

Project: New Pachacama sectioning substation
Reference price: US$9.82mn

Project: New El Guindal sectioning substation
Reference price: US$9.31mn

Project: New El Pimiento sectioning substation
Reference price: US$18mn

Project: New substations Monte Blanco and El Lazo
Reference price: US$13mn

Project:  New Las Delicias sectioning substation
Reference price: US$16.5mn

Project: New Coiquén substation and new 2x66kV line Las Delicias-Coiquén
Reference price: US$13.3mn

Project: New 1X110kV line El Pimiento-Monte Blanco, new 1X110kV line El Pimiento-El Lazo and new 1X110kV line Monte Blanco-El Lazo.
Reference price: US$14.9mn

***

Bidder: Colbún
Technical offers: 1
Economic offers: 1

Project: New Llullaillaco sectioning substation
Reference price: US$21.9mn

***

Bidder: Cooperativa de Consumo de Energía Eléctrica Chillán
Technical offers: 3
Economic offers: 1

Project: Expansion of 66kV substation Quilmo II and sectioning of 1x66kV line Chillán-Tap Quilmo
Reference price: US$2.03mn

Project: New 1x66kV line Santa Elisa-Quilmo II
Reference price: US$5.18mn

Project: Expansion of 66kV Santa Elisa substation, new transformer and sectioning of 1x66kV line Nueva Aldea-Santa Elvira
Reference price: US$4.48mn

***

Bidder: Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica Transemel
Technical offers: 6
Economic offers: 4

Project: New Llullaillaco sectioning substation
Reference price: US$21.9mn

Project: New El Guindal sectioning substation
Reference price: US$9.31mn

Project: New Litueche substation and new 2x110kV line Litueche-La Estrella
Reference price: US$12.6mn

Project: Expansion of the La Estrella 110kV substation
Reference price: US$886,107

Project:  New Las Delicias sectioning substation
Reference price: US$16.5mn

Project: New Coiquén substation and new 2x66kV line Las Delicias-Coiquén
Reference price: US$13.3mn

***

Bidder: Engie Chile
Technical offers: 2
Economic offers: 2

Project: New Llullaillaco sectioning substation
Reference price: US$21.9mn

Project: New El Guindal sectioning substation
Reference price: US$9.31mn

***

Bidder: Ferrovial Power Infrastructure Chile
Technical offers: 11
Economic offers: 3

Project: Expansion of the Fuentecilla 66kV substation, new 154kV yard, new transformer and sectioning of 1x66kV line San Vicente de Tagua Tagua-Las Cabras.
Reference price: US$9.90mn

Project: Expansion of the 154kV Malloa Nueva substation and sectioning of line 1x154 Punta De Cortés-Tinguiririca.
Reference price: US$4.28mn

Project: New 2x154kV line Tinguiririca-Santa Cruz
Reference price: US$27.9mn

Project: New 2x154kV line Fuentecilla-Malloa Nueva
Reference price: US$16.9mn

Project: Expansion of the Tinguiririca substation (220kV and 154kV)
Reference price: US$5.52mn

Project: Expansion of the Tinguiririca substation
Reference price: US$9.64mn

Project: Expansion of Santa Cruz 66kV substation, new 154kV yard and new transformer
Reference price: US$8.36mn

Project: Expansion of 154kV San Fernando substation
Reference price: US$3.57mn

Project: Second circuit 2x154kV line Tinguiriric-San Fernando and construction of connection bays at San Fernando substation.
Reference price: US$3.69mn

Project: New Las Delicias sectioning substation
Reference price: US$16.5mn

Project: New Coiquén substation and new 2x66kV line Las Delicias-Coiquén
Reference price: US$13.3mn

***

Bidder: Interconexión Eléctrica (ISA)
Technical offers: 4
Economic offers: 2

Project: New Llullaillaco sectioning substation
Reference price: US$21.9mn

Project: Expansion of the Parinas substation
Reference price: US$35mn

Project: Expansion of the Parinas substation (500kV and 220kV)
Reference price: US$5.97mn

Project: New Lo Aguirre-Parinas power flow control storage system
Reference price: US$211mn

***

Bidder: Sociedad de Transmisión Austral
Technical offers: 12
Economic offers: 7

Project: New Llullaillaco sectioning substation
Reference price: US$21.9mn

Project: New Pachacama sectioning substation
Reference price: US$9.82mn

Project: New Linderos sectioning substation
Reference price: US$16.3mn

Project: New El Guindal sectioning substation
Reference price: US$9.31mn

Project: New Litueche substation and new 2x110kV line Litueche-La Estrella
Reference price: US$12.6mn

Project: New 2x154kV line Fuentecilla-Malloa Nueva
Reference price: US$16.9mn

Project: New Las Delicias sectioning substation
Reference price: US$16.5mn

Project: New Coiquén substation and new 2x66kV line Las Delicias-Coiquén
Reference price: US$13.3mn

Project: Expand capacity of 1x66kV line Buin-Linderos
Reference price: US$2.17mn

Project: Expansion of the La Estrella 110kV substation
Reference price: US$886,107

Project: Expansion of the Fuentecilla 66kV substation, new 154kV yard, new transformer and sectioning of 1x66kV line San Vicente de Tagua Tagua-Las Cabras.
Reference price: US$9.90mn

Project: Expansion of the 154kV Malloa Nueva substation and sectioning of line 1x154 Punta De Cortés-Tinguiririca.
Reference price: US$4.28mn

***

Bidder: Transelec Holdings Rentas
Technical offers: 3
Economic offers: 1

Project: Expansion of the Parinas substation
Reference price: US$35mn

Project: Expansion of the Parinas substation (500kV and 220kV)
Reference price: US$5.97mn

Project: New Lo Aguirre-Parinas power flow control storage system
Reference price: US$211mn

***

Bidder: Transelec
Technical offers: 2
Economic offers: 2

Project: New Llullaillaco sectioning substation
Reference price: US$21.9mn

Project: New El Guindal sectioning substation
Reference price: US$9.31mn

Earlier this month CEN awarded a series of construction contracts for transmission expansion projects as part of its first auction of 2023.

The planned work, requiring US$105mn in investment, corresponds to energy ministry decrees No. 200 of 2022 and No. 185 of 2021. Officials awarded 16 projects out of 21 offered.