Argentina has identified the main contenders seeking to acquire the shares held by the national government in CITELEC, the holding company that controls Transener — the country’s largest high-voltage electricity transmission operator — with an estimated valuation of USD 206 million.
The bidders that submitted offers on Thursday, April 14, include Genneia in partnership with Edison Group (through Edison Transmisión), Central Puerto S.A., and distribution utility Edenor. Their goal is to take control of a company that manages more than 12,600 kilometres of 500 kV transmission lines and over 160 transformer substations across Argentina.
The network involved also includes subsidiary Transba and represents the backbone of the Argentine Interconnection System (SADI), spanning approximately 3,700 kilometres from north to south.
This transaction is part of the broader privatisation process led by Energía Argentina S.A. (ENARSA), the state-owned energy company, as the government moves to reduce public sector participation in the energy market. Financial bids are expected to be disclosed within the next three weeks, with the final award scheduled for June.
Who are the competing companies?
Genneia — Argentina’s leading renewable energy generator, with 1,580 MW installed capacity plus 170 MW of solar PV and 40 MW of battery energy storage systems (BESS) under construction — has partnered with Edison Group to participate under the vehicle Edison Transmisión.
Edison Group is an energy holding created last year by brothers Juan and Patricio Neuss, in association with Rubén Cherñajovsky and Luis Galli, key figures behind Newsan, one of Argentina’s largest electronics manufacturers based in Tierra del Fuego.
The group has already outlined an aggressive growth strategy, planning to invest around USD 300 million in energy infrastructure over the coming years. In 2025, it secured concessions for the Alicurá and Cerros Colorados hydroelectric power plants, which together exceed 1,500 MW of installed capacity.
Additionally, Edison Group has expanded its footprint by acquiring several assets, including the Tucumán electricity distribution company (EDET), Jujuy’s provincial utility (EJESA), transmission company LITSA, and hydro generator CEMPSA in Mendoza — making its interest in Transener a logical step within its expansion strategy.
Central Puerto, another major Argentine energy company, submitted the second bid. The firm is currently undergoing significant expansion and has more than 570 MW of renewable energy capacity in operation, along with 126 MW of non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE) under construction.
In 2025, Central Puerto was also awarded 205 MW of battery storage capacity through the AlmaGBA tender (BESS projects), and secured the concession to continue operating the 1,440 MW Piedra del Águila hydroelectric plant.
The company is also advancing technical, economic, and environmental studies for a transmission project of 140 km (potentially expandable to 350 km), aimed at supplying between 400 and 450 MW to mining projects located in northern Salta and Catamarca, enabling their integration into the national grid (SADI). Recently, it also announced the acquisition of oil company Patagonia Energy to enter the Vaca Muerta shale play.
Edenor completes the list of bidders, although its participation requires explicit authorization from the Executive Branch. Despite being Argentina’s largest electricity distribution company in terms of customers and energy sales — covering an area of 4,637 km² — regulatory constraints remain.
These limitations stem from Law 24,065 (Argentina’s Electricity Regulatory Framework), which restricts vertical integration across generation, transmission, and distribution. As a result, the group — led by businessmen Vila, Manzano, and Filiberti — must obtain government approval before being allowed to operate transmission assets.
