The Itaipú Technological Park Foundation (PTI) launched three tenders for the construction of charging stations for electric buses.
Specifically, the objective is to contract services for the preparation of preliminary studies, the executive project, construction, and supervision of the stations that will be used to operate the first vehicles donated by Taiwan.
These infrastructures will be installed at government offices in the Port of Asunción, at the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) workshops in San Lorenzo, and in the bus depot of the National University of Asunción (UNA), also in San Lorenzo.
The first tender published on the PTI portal was for the “Executive Project and Construction of Charging Stations”; bids for this call were received on 4 February and the envelopes were opened on 5 and 17 February, respectively.
The other two tenders are at a similar stage. However, no list of bidding or awarded companies has been published yet, according to ABC Color.
According to the calls published on the PTI portal, these price contests aim to select the most suitable offer according to the terms of reference (ToR) for the contracting of services, under Agreement No. 4500076659/2024 titled “Design and construction of the initial phase of terminal stations for electric buses in the AMA”.
More than chargers: towards full electric mobility in Itaipú
In addition to these tenders, the Foundation is working with the eMobility ecosystem in all aspects. The move towards electromobility in Paraguay is consolidating with the implementation of the Task Centre in Hernandarias and the upcoming arrival of more than 60 multipurpose electric vehicles.
The Task Centre (Technical Advice and Solutions from Korea) is the result of collaboration between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC), Itaipú Binational, the Itaipú Technological Park Paraguay (PTI-PY) and the Korean Automotive Technology Institute (Katech).
This centre’s main objective is to strengthen the Paraguayan automotive industry through the development of electric vehicles and technical training in tooling.
Recently, the Task Centre’s steering committee met to assess the progress of the Sustainable Electric Mobility Pilot Project.
During the meeting, emphasis was placed on the reception of five electric buses and the expectation to add more than 60 multipurpose electric vehicles in the coming months. These actions aim to promote the adoption of clean technologies in the transport sector.
“The visit of the Asian technicians marks an important milestone for the consolidation of this initiative, which seeks the development of the auto parts industry, as well as the strengthening of technical cooperation and inter-institutional coordination,” stated Itaipú’s official website.
“The Task Centre Steering Committee acts as the project’s governing body, monitoring progress, coordinating the institutions involved, and defining the necessary strategies to overcome technical and operational challenges, ensuring that the project progresses in line with its established goals,” they added.
Furthermore, the shipment of specialised machinery from South Korea for tooling training was confirmed, which will allow for the training of local technicians in the manufacture of components for electric vehicles.
The construction of the permanent headquarters of the Task Centre at the Tacurú Pucú Park in Hernandarias is progressing as planned.
Korean specialists recently visited the site and confirmed that the works are in the foundation phase. This infrastructure will be key to the development of the auto parts industry in the country.
