Coral Energía, an Argentine renewable energy developer and power marketer, is entering a key phase of operational growth driven by solar projects under construction, new battery energy storage systems (BESS) and the exploration of new commercial opportunities in the country’s evolving electricity market.
The company expects to finish 2026 with around 260 MW of renewable capacity built within its contracted portfolio, while advancing several parallel developments that will define its position among Argentina’s renewable energy suppliers.
“This is a year of growth and consolidation for Coral. Our goal is to strengthen our position among the key players in renewable electricity sales. Once all projects are operational, we will evaluate where the market is heading and where we should position ourselves,” said Marcelo Álvarez, Director of Planning and Institutional Relations at Coral Energía, during an interview at Future Energy Summit (FES) Argentina.
Coral Energía currently operates four solar parks built under the Generfe program in Santa Fe province, totalling 20 MW of installed capacity.
At the same time, the company is advancing projects awarded under RenMDI, a national renewable energy auction designed to promote distributed and regional generation across Argentina.
In addition, Coral Energía will soon begin construction of two battery energy storage systems (BESS) awarded through the AlmaGBA program, which aims to improve power system reliability in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.
The projects include:
| Project | Capacity | Grid connection | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| BESS Pilar | 50 MW | Edenor distribution grid | USD 11,461 per MW/month |
| BESS Parque | 50 MW | Edenor distribution grid | USD 11,979 per MW/month |
Overall, the company currently accumulates around 400 MW between contracted renewable capacity and projects under development.
Coral Energía’s strategic roadmap targets 1 GW of renewable energy contracts by 2030, reflecting the growing diversification of contracting mechanisms and business models in Argentina’s electricity market.
The company’s strategy includes expanding its participation in several segments of Argentina’s energy market, including:
- Standalone battery storage projects are expected under the upcoming AlmaSADI tender, which could allocate around 700 MW of BESS capacity across the country.
- Renewable projects connected to distribution networks, where available grid capacity may allow new developments.
- Corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) within Argentina’s Mercado a Término de Energías Renovables (MATER).
- New demand segments, such as mining operations and data centres, are increasingly seeking a renewable electricity supply.
“In storage, we are evaluating projects between 100 MW and 200 MW, although smaller systems could also emerge,” Álvarez explained.
Regarding renewable projects connected to distribution networks, the executive highlighted that grid node capacity determines the feasible project size.
“We want to build the largest projects possible within each node’s technical limits. Today we have many developments between 10 MW and 20 MW, and the next step is increasing that range to 30–50 MW projects,” he said.
This approach reflects growing congestion in Argentina’s high-voltage transmission system, which is encouraging developers to pursue generation projects connected directly to distribution networks.
Álvarez also noted that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) could become part of the company’s growth strategy.
“There may also be opportunities to acquire renewable parks already developed for the MATER market, particularly those with dispatch priority,” he added.
Potential role in transmission infrastructure projects
Beyond renewable generation and storage, Coral Energía is also evaluating participation in electric transmission expansion projects in Argentina.
The government is expected to launch tender documents this year for AMBA I, a major transmission project aimed at reinforcing the Buenos Aires metropolitan grid.
Two additional high-voltage transmission projects could follow in late 2026 or 2027:
| Project | Voltage | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Río Diamante – Charlone – O’Higgins | 500 kV | Central-west Argentina |
| Puerto Madryn – Choele Choel – Bahía Blanca | 500 kV | Patagonia to the Buenos Aires region |
“Coral Energía could participate as part of a consortium. Our parent group, Corven, is actively evaluating involvement in some of these projects,” Álvarez said.
However, he noted that from a generator’s perspective, the economic participation in transmission projects is often relatively limited. As a result, developing new transmission infrastructure typically requires multi-stakeholder consortia involving different actors in the power system with aligned interests.
