The project is part of a package of 17 priority projects aimed at strengthening and optimizing the electricity transmission system in different regions of the country, with special attention to areas with the greatest population and production growth.
The official intention is to prevent future outages and eliminate bottlenecks in energy distribution , a problem that, according to industry sources, affects several provinces.
The announcement was made by presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni, who explained that these projects will be financed and carried out by the private sector under a concession scheme , with no initial cost to the national government.
" Repayment will be made once the works are completed, through a tariff concept that will be gradually applied to users ," he said.
He also announced that the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, will sign a resolution declaring these initiatives as priority projects, and explained that the projects will be awarded through both national and international tenders.
The projects include more than 5,600 kilometers of new power lines and the expansion of 500 kV transformer stations. In total, these projects will affect more than 20 provinces , including enclaves such as Buenos Aires, Chubut, Mendoza, Salta, Formosa, Córdoba, and Catamarca .
For its part, the interconnection line linking Santa Cruz with Tierra del Fuego would represent a strategic step in the country's energy integration and the autonomy of the southernmost province . Currently, Tierra del Fuego receives energy in isolation, which imposes higher costs and makes it vulnerable to power outages.
In this regard, Adorni stated that “ the last high-voltage project nationwide was carried out in 2017. In the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA), the most recent was in 2006. Today, 35% of the infrastructure is at the end of its useful life .”
The situation, according to the Energy Department, is worsened by electricity demand, which has grown by 20% in the last decade, while transmission capacity has barely increased by 8% . This imbalance has led to grid saturations and recurring failures, a situation that could worsen.
The completion of the 500 kV line connecting the island to the mainland would not only alleviate the current situation but also open up new opportunities to boost regional development.
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