The sheets of Cordoba and Sucre for the first time they already have a solar project on a large scale for the generation of electricity and that will be connected to the National Interconnected System (SIN).
Is about La Sierpe, photovoltaic plantwhich was initially developed by the Canadian Hispanic firm AAGES, and which is now in the hands of Atlantic Sustainable Infrastructure (ASI).
The complex is located in the municipality of San Benito Abad (Sucre), and in its assembly nearly US$20 million were invested ($1 million per megawatt (MW)). It has a 15-year energy purchase and sale contract, but with a life planned for 30 years. It consists of 65,000 solar panels that will generate 4,280,000 kilowatt hours per month (Kw/hm) equivalent to what 28,500 households consume in a month (on average for Colombia).
“In addition to clean energy, we are committed to bringing development to the communities, that is why we will pay for transfers from the electricity sector, between $1 and $2 for each kWh generated for investments in infrastructure, public services, basic sanitation in the municipalities of the area of project influence“, He said Anthony MerinoVice President for South America of ASI.
In addition, to this infrastructure located in Sucre, two more will be added (La Tolua and Tierra Linda) located in the department of Córdoba, with 30 MW each of installed capacity, and which together will have 130,000 bifacial solar panels on a single axis for its rotation, and that in the end for this project it will have a total installed capacity of 50 MW”.
The main reason why this multinational was interested in being in charge of this asset is that this area (the Sucre and Córdoba savannahs) has a very good solar resource with which it can achieve electricity production that results in a great profitability for the same project.
“The renewable revolution is underway. Only in solar energy in Colombia today we have installed 25 times more renewable generation capacity than we had in 2018. When we see what we have between completed projects, projects underway and assigned by auction, we are talking about about 2,800 megawatts, 100 times more than what the country had four years ago”, assured the President of the Republic, Ivan Duke Marquez at the opening event.
Per year, the La Sierpe solar farm will prevent the emission of 18,118 tons of CO2, which is equivalent to planting 9,060 trees.
“The Energy Transition is the main public policy of the sector and today it is consolidated in all the regions of the country. Today the turn is for Sucre, with investments for more than $75 billion pesos that contribute to the economic reactivation of the country”, added the Minister of Mines and Energy, Diego Mesa.
ALFONSO LOPEZ SUAREZ
BRIEFCASE
