ANDE's Zárate Isla Substation: Four consortia bid up to US$110 million

Four business consortia have submitted economic offers for the construction and interconnection of the future Zárate Isla substation, a significant electrical infrastructure project by Paraguay's National Electricity Administration (ANDE). The official opening of bids took place on July 10, following a previous protest that had halted the process.

All four submitted proposals fell below ANDE's technical forecast of US$149,402,564. The total budgets presented by the participating firms range from US$101,100,000 to US$110,413,435, indicating a potential saving compared to the state company's initial projection. The lowest bid came from Consorcio Itay 220 (Tecnoedil S.A. and Ocho A S.A.) at US$101.1 million, while Consorcio CCR Zárate Isla (CIE S.A., Concret Mix S.A., and Rieder & Cía.) submitted the highest offer at US$110.4 million.

The bidding process was marked by intense technical observations and cross-appeals between competitors. Consorcio CCR Zárate Isla formally challenged Ingeniería de Topografía y Caminos (T&C S.A.) and Consorcio TI Leasing, citing a lack of required international certifications for proposed equipment. In response, T&C S.A. questioned Consorcio Itay 220 and Consorcio TI Leasing over unclear documentation and missing experience endorsements for substation modules and metal structures.

ANDE utilizes an operational leasing model for such projects, enabling the acquisition of high-voltage transmission infrastructure without resorting to direct public debt or overburdening the national budget. Under this arrangement, a private contractor finances, builds, and maintains the facilities, while ANDE pays periodic usage fees. The institution's Offer Evaluation Committee will now meticulously review the legal and qualitative validity of each proposal and appeal before finalizing the award.