Central Puerto SA, an Argentine power generator, signed a mandate letter with the International Finance Corporation (IFC). This includes financing of up to $300 million to support the roll-out of renewables and storage. These funds will advance Central Puerto’s investment plan, including the first BESS project awarded under the AlmaGBA tender. Central Puerto secured a contract for a 55MW project through its Central Costanera unit and another 150MW project through Central Puerto. Additionally, it recently reached a deal to get an 80MW solar farm in Salta province to diversify the generation profile. Expanding into renewables with storage strengthens grid stability and reduces carbon footprint. This development will help manage the intermittency of wind and solar power and ensure reliability in the national grid. B-strand connectors offer electrical and safety features to ensure optimal performance, reliability, and financial viability. They are specially designed cables that link battery racks in parallel.
Heavy-duty connectors ensure the system sums the current while maintaining the same voltage level. It allows Central Puerto to design the plant using standardized, prefabricated battery racks. This makes the project easier to engineer, construct, and scale up. The B strand allows the addition of racks into the system by extending the connection infrastructure. B-strand connectors carry the normal operating current and integrate with the system’s protection scheme. The protective devices isolate a faulty rack and prevent the rest of the system from propagating the fault, allowing for continuous operation. It acts as a collection network to merge the DC power from all the parallel racks.
B-strand connectors in BESS projects
B-strand connectors are mechanical, thimble-style fittings used to interlock two strand loops in overhead and pole line hardware. It is an essential component in overhead and messenger connections that make electrical and structural connections strong. The strand connector secures overhead structural strands powering the BESS. Here are the key functions of the strand connector in BESS projects.
- Anchor and dead-end loop for messenger wires—BESS yards use poles or towers to support medium-voltage feeders or grounding conductors. The B-strand provides a secure thimble for looped strand terminations and guying.
- Mechanical load transfer—the strand creates a defined bearing surface, so strand loops cut under tension. This helps improve longevity under dynamic loads like wind and thermal expansion.
- Durability and corrosion resistance – the hot-dip galvanization and ductile-iron construction help resist corrosion and extend the lifespan.
- Fast installation and maintenance—standard B-strand connectors speed up the installation and change of guy wire systems during construction and maintenance.
- Grounding for safety—messenger and grounding strands anchored with proper fittings ensure stable earthing paths. They also secure runs of protection cables between inverters, transformers, and the substation.
- Enabling scalability and flexibility—B-strand connectors allow Central Puerto to design the plant using standardized battery racks. This makes it easy to add extra racks to the system by extending the connection infrastructure.
Key measures and projects supporting BESS projects by Central Puerto
Central Puerto has several projects that support Argentina’s energy sector. The key projects include the Mendoza BESS project, BESS integration with wind farms, and BESS integration with thermal plants. The country has also adopted various measures that ensure the stability and reliability of Argentina’s power system. The success of the project depends on their ability to leverage new regulations, secure international financing, forge technology partnerships, and develop international expertise. These measures include:
- Leveraging regulatory frameworks – Central Puerto has utilized regulations from the grid operator CAMMESA. The 2019/2020 resolution creates a payment mechanism for ancillary services provided by storage.
- Financing and investment—Central Puerto has secured loans from international development banks and export credit agencies that fund green infrastructure in emerging markets.
- Technical expertise and human capital – the company has also invested in training its engineers and project managers in BESS technology, grid integration, and safety protocols. Deploying a BESS needs intricate coordination of civil works, electrical engineering, grid interconnection, and commissioning.
- Market strategy and revenue stacking – Central Puerto’s projects are designed for revenue stacking. This includes ancillary services, energy arbitrage, capacity payments, and private PPA enhancements.
- Technology partnership and supply chain – the company has also partnered with leading global BESS manufacturers like Huawei. This ensures access to reliable technology and engineering support.