Bahía Blanca Port chosen for TGS mega energy project, officials say

Bahía Blanca and its port have been selected as the site for a large-scale energy project by Argentine natural gas transporter TGS, local and port officials said.

Bahía Blanca Mayor Federico Susbielles called the decision “an important day” for the city and thanked TGS for what he described as a strategic choice for Argentina.

Susbielles said the project would take 45 months to build and would add significant value for the country. He said about half of the overall investment is expected to be spent in Bahía Blanca, including an estimated 800 construction jobs at the plant and additional direct jobs among suppliers.

He also praised the port’s board for maintaining what he called a modern and competitive facility, adding that Bahía Blanca had created the conditions for TGS to choose the city, which he described as Vaca Muerta’s natural maritime outlet.

Susbielles said the port has installed capacity ready to support exports and argued it is among the most competitive and best-prepared in Argentina, with technical capabilities to back large-scale operations.

He described the project as an example of a successful public-private model, saying the port’s strategic partners are investing and that the city offers reputable universities, an industrial base and services. Susbielles said Bahía Blanca is an orderly and reliable city that provides the legal and institutional framework investors seek.

He said the port ships bulk commodities, posted record exports last year and generates value at a time when Argentina needs hard currency.

“The city has social license,” Susbielles added, saying the investment underscores Bahía Blanca’s potential and would help the city move past recent hardship. He said Bahía Blanca needs to grow and could become one of the engines of Argentina’s recovery.

Port consortium chief Santiago Mandolesi Burgos said the investment marked a milestone and was the most significant in the past 25 years. He said Bahía Blanca serves as both an entry point for inputs and an outlet for Vaca Muerta’s production.

Mandolesi Burgos said the port combines experience, capacity and sustainability, and highlighted what he called the legal certainty provided by the port and the public-private approach of the consortium. He said the port is efficient and connected to global markets, and has what is needed to export output from Vaca Muerta.

“In short, it has the conditions necessary for companies like TGS to trust Bahía Blanca with investments of this magnitude,” he said.

TGS Bahía Blanca representative Fernando Bono attended the news conference, along with Ricardo Rabbione, executive director of the local industrial union, and several representatives from industry chambers, labor groups and the municipal government, according to organizers.

Source: Puerto de Bahía Blanca

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