Renewables take hit as Colombia's power project pipeline shrinks

Colombia's power generation project portfolio has shrunk by almost 9,000MW this year, amid a sharp decline in proposed renewable energy capacity. 

Energy ministry planning unit UPME has 270 active projects in its registry with combined capacity of 13,826MW, down from 321 and 22,750MW on January 1, according to BNamericas research. 

Wind developments fell to 3,173MW, spread among 21 projects, compared to 8,522MW from 32 projects six months ago. 

Solar also saw a sharp decrease, dipping to 8,797MW (202 projects) from 11,529MW (232 projects) at the start of the year. 

The registry had no thermoelectric plants following the awarding of just 48MW of gas-fired capacity – out of a total of 4,489MW – at an auction for firm energy in February. Thermoelectric developments totaled 672MW (from six projects) in January. 

Hydropower accounted for 1,828MW (43 projects), down from 1,975MW (from 46 projects), while biomass proposals fell to 18MW (three projects) from 43MW (four projects). The registry includes one geothermal plant with forecast capacity of 10MW.

Some 158 projects totaling 7,516MW are the subject of feasibility studies, while 109 (6,290MW) are in the permitting phase. Another 19MW (38 projects) are in the final development stage. 

The largest active project in the registry is the 800MW Micay hydroelectric complex under development by Gestión y Diseños Eléctricos in El Tambo, Cauca department.

It is followed by the 750MW Chivo Mono I solar park proposed by Amarak Gutami Energy and Kappa Energía's eponymous 500MW wind complex, both in La Guajira. 

Next is Isagen's 302MW Guajira II wind farm (La Guajira), Desarrollos Eólicos Alta Guajira's 300MW Motosira wind complex (La Guajira), Omega Energía's 300MW Omega wind farm (La Guajira) and the 280MW Las Acacias wind complex in Magdalena department. 

The decline in proposed power generation projects coincides with concerns about ongoing delays to non-conventional renewable energy projects in the country's north. 

A report published by renewable energy association SER Colombia in January showed that almost half of the country's wind and solar power projects due online in the next two years were running behind schedule.

Industry observers have cited social unrest and environmental licensing requirements – including a need to conduct exhaustive consultations with individual communities – as a major reason for the delays.

In June, Grupo Energía Bogotá said its troubled Colectora transmission project – a key pillar of Colombia's renewable energy buildout – could suffer further delays amid new licensing hurdles.