Spanish Constructor Aldesa Secures 212 Million PLN Polish High-Voltage Grid Contract in Competitive 11-Bidder Race

Introduction

Modernising and expanding high-voltage transmission infrastructure is a strict prerequisite for energy security and the integration of renewable energy sources in Central Europe. Poland’s national grid operator has taken a decisive step in this direction by awarding a major construction contract for a critical 400 kV power line segment.

Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne S.A. (PSE) has awarded a 32-month, 212 million PLN construction contract to Aldesa Construcciones Polska. The award underscores the cross-border nature of Eastern European energy infrastructure development and the intense competition for specialized grid construction expertise.

Why This Contract Matters

This contract covers Section II of the Choczewo – Gdańsk Przyjaźń 400 kV transmission line. This infrastructure is vital for grid stability in the Pomeranian region.

Specifically, it supports growing industrial electricity demand and facilitates the integration of offshore wind capacity from the Baltic Sea into the national grid. Delays in such projects directly impact Poland’s broader energy transition timeline.

Contract Timeline

The contracting authority concluded the contract with the winning bidder on 30 July 2026. The official notice was published in the Tenders Electronic Daily on 28 August 2026.

The project execution is scheduled to last for 32 months from the contract signing date, placing the expected completion window in early 2029.

Contract Overview

This is a single-lot works contract for the construction of a high-voltage power line. The scope includes the development of formal and technical documentation, followed by the physical execution of works necessary to build and commission Section II of the line.

The project runs from tower number 64 to the Gdańsk Przyjaźń substation. The contracting authority explicitly permitted the use of equivalent technical solutions, provided the bidder could prove they met or exceeded the specified parameters.

Key Contract Details

Project Scope

The winning contractor is responsible for the full lifecycle of this specific grid segment. This encompasses engineering design, civil works, tower erection, cable installation and final commissioning.

The notice specifies that the buyer will utilize a Contractor Qualification System. This pre-vetting mechanism ensures that only firms with proven experience in 400 kV power lines and substations are permitted to participate in the bidding phase.

About the Contracting Authority

Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne S.A. (PSE)
PSE is the transmission system operator (TSO) for Poland. It is a state-controlled entity responsible for the secure, reliable and efficient operation of the national high-voltage power grid, as well as managing cross-border electricity flows.

About the Organisations Involved

Aldesa Construcciones Polska sp. z o.o.
The successful bidder. Classified as a large enterprise, this entity is the Polish subsidiary of the Spanish infrastructure group Aldesa. Based in Warsaw, the company possesses extensive experience in complex civil engineering and energy infrastructure projects across Central and Eastern Europe.

Krajowa Izba Odwoławcza
The National Chamber of Appeal. This independent body serves as the official review organisation for public procurement disputes in Poland, ensuring compliance with national and EU procurement laws.

Procurement Analysis

The open procedure attracted 11 tender submissions, indicating strong market appetite for major Polish energy infrastructure projects. The bidder pool was notably diverse, including one micro, small, or medium enterprise, two bidders from other European Economic Area countries and one from outside the EEA.

The award was determined entirely on price, with a 100 percent weighting. In complex infrastructure tenders, a sole price criterion can be risky. However, PSE mitigated this risk by requiring bidders to be pre-qualified through its specialized Contractor Qualification System for 400 kV lines.

By filtering for technical capability upfront, the authority ensured that all 11 bids were technically compliant. This allowed PSE to safely award the contract to the lowest-priced qualified bidder, maximizing value for public funds. The authority also applied a reverse procedure, evaluating commercial offers before verifying the top bidder’s formal qualifications, which accelerates the award timeline.

Additional Procurement Facts

• The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA).
• Subcontracting arrangements are not yet known.
• The contracting authority retains the right to award follow-up contracts for similar works under specific legal provisions.
• All communication and bid submission occurred exclusively via PSE’s dedicated electronic procurement platform.

Market & Industry Perspective

The Polish energy grid is undergoing a historic expansion. The country is actively phasing out coal dependency while simultaneously developing a massive offshore wind sector in the Baltic Sea.

This dual transition requires thousands of kilometers of new high-voltage transmission lines. The market for such specialized construction is dominated by a select group of large, multinational engineering firms with the capital and technical expertise to manage high-risk, multi-year projects.

Aldesa’s victory highlights the consolidation of European energy construction expertise. Spanish and other Southern European engineering groups are increasingly leveraging their regional subsidiaries to capture market share in the rapidly growing Central European infrastructure market.

Economic Significance

For the Polish state, this 212 million PLN investment is a critical down payment on future energy resilience. It directly supports the economic viability of upcoming offshore wind farms by guaranteeing a pathway to transmit power to major demand centers.

For Aldesa Construcciones Polska, the contract provides substantial revenue visibility over a 32-month period. It also reinforces the company’s reference portfolio in the highly specialized high-voltage sector, strengthening its position for future TSO tenders.

Future Procurement Opportunities

PSE operates under a multi-year capital expenditure plan. This contract is merely one segment of the broader Choczewo – Gdańsk Przyjaźń project. Additional tenders for adjacent sections of this line are highly probable in the near term.

Furthermore, similar 400 kV expansion projects are planned across other regions of Poland to alleviate grid congestion. Suppliers should anticipate a steady pipeline of high-voltage construction tenders throughout the remainder of the decade.

Opportunities for Suppliers

While the prime contract is awarded, significant downstream opportunities exist. Specialized subcontractors focusing on civil engineering, foundation works, tower assembly and high-voltage electrical fitting should proactively approach Aldesa to establish supply chain partnerships.

Manufacturers and distributors of high-voltage materials, such as specialized cables, insulators and steel structures, will also see direct demand generated by this project’s execution phase.

What Businesses Should Watch

Market participants should monitor the execution pace of this 32-month contract. Any delays in high-voltage line construction can create bottlenecks that delay the operational launch of associated offshore wind farms.

Observers should also watch PSE’s evolving qualification criteria. As grid technology advances to include smart grid features and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) components, the technical bar for pre-qualification will likely rise, further narrowing the field of eligible bidders.

PolandTenders.com Procurement Intelligence

This award exemplifies a highly effective procurement strategy for complex public infrastructure: the decoupling of technical qualification from commercial evaluation. By utilizing a rigorous pre-qualification system, PSE successfully de-risked the tender process.

This approach allows the contracting authority to apply a 100 percent price weighting with confidence, knowing that technical failure risk has already been mitigated. Suppliers must learn that in such environments, the real competition often occurs before the tender is even published, during the qualification phase.

Relevant suppliers should position themselves by ensuring their technical certifications and past performance records are meticulously maintained and registered in the buyer’s qualification systems. Future contracts in this market will continue to favor large, financially stable consortia or subsidiaries of multinational groups capable of absorbing the inherent risks of multi-year grid construction.

Additionally, the diverse bidder pool indicates that Polish energy infrastructure remains highly attractive to international capital and expertise. This cross-border competition will continue to drive down prices while maintaining high technical standards.

Supplier Takeaways

• Pre-qualification systems are increasingly used by TSOs to de-risk complex tenders, enabling safe reliance on 100 percent price-based award criteria.
• International engineering groups are actively capturing market share in Central Europe through localized subsidiaries.
• Subcontractors should align with prime winners early in the project lifecycle to secure downstream civil and electrical work packages.
• Maintaining up-to-date technical references for high-voltage projects is mandatory for passing future pre-qualification hurdles.

Key Takeaways

• Aldesa Construcciones Polska won a 32-month, 212 million PLN contract to build a critical segment of a 400 kV power line near Gdańsk.
• The open procedure attracted 11 bids, including international participants, demonstrating strong market competition.
• The award was based entirely on price, made defensible by PSE’s strict Contractor Qualification System.
• The project is vital for integrating Baltic Sea offshore wind capacity into the Polish national grid.
• Subcontracting details are not yet known, presenting immediate opportunities for specialized trade firms.

Conclusion

This procurement successfully secures a vital component of Poland’s energy transition infrastructure. By awarding the contract to an experienced international player through a highly competitive process, PSE has balanced fiscal responsibility with technical reliability.

As Poland accelerates its grid modernization efforts, this contract serves as a blueprint for how state-owned utilities can efficiently procure complex, high-value construction works while maintaining strict competitive pressure.

Source: Tenders Electronic Daily (TED), Contract Award Notice 594054-2026, Official Journal of the European Union, published on 28/08/2026.